HELEN  • S • DYER. 


Division  ~JL 


DS  479.1  .R3  D8  1900 
Dyer,  Helen  S. 

Pandita  Ramabai:  the  story 
of  her  life 


o 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/panditaramabaist00dyer_0 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 

The  Story  of  Her  Life 


f 


Pandita  Ramabai 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


The  Story  of  Her  Life 


BY 


HELEN  S.  DYER 


New  York  Chicago  Toronto 

Fleming  H.  Revell  Company 

Publishers  of  Evangelical  Literature 


Copyright  1900 
by 

FLEMING  H.  REVELL  COMPANY 


INTRODUCTION 


Towards  the  dose  of  the  eighteenth  century, 
when  books  were  few,  a remarkable  volume  en- 
titled “ Monumental  Pillars,”  was  published  for 
English  Christians.  It  was  compiled  from  authentic 
records  of  the  Lord’s  dealings  in  providence  and  grace 
with  individual  Christians;  of  summary  justice  meted 
out  to  those  who  had  blasphemed  His  name ; of  wonder- 
ful dreams  and  their  fulfilment ; of  preservation  of  life 
through  following  the  inner  guidance  of  the  Spirit 
of  God;  and  similar  testimonies  tending  to  show  the 
direct  individual  methods  of  God  with  the  children  of 
men,  and  of  the  absolute  certainty  of  a particular  provi- 
dential care  over  their  lives. 

The  story  told  in  the  following  pages  will  show  how 
the  Lord,  having  a purpose  of  grace  towards  the  down- 
trodden widows  of  India,  has  raised  up  one  of  that 
despised  class  to  erect  a “ Monumental  Pillar  ” to  His 
name.  The  whole  may  be  designated  as  a Record  of 
Answered  Prayers  and  Fulfilled  Promises.  Ramabai 
could  adopt  the  language  of  Eliezer  of  old,  and  say, 

S 


6 


INTRODUCTION 


“ I being  in  the  way,  the  Lord  led  me.”  The  human 
part  of  the  work  has  been  persevering  faith  and  obe- 
dience ; and  as  God  delights  to  honour  faith,  the  bless- 
ing has  come,  and  the  work  has  grown. 

When,  in  the  providence  of  God,  my  husband  was 
obliged  to  relinquish  the  work  in  India  in  which  we 
had  been  engaged  for  more  than  ten  years,  it  was  im- 
pressed upon  my  mind  that  the  Lord  would  have  us  do 
something  in  England  for  Ramabai.  This  book  has 
been  written  in  response  to  that  impression. 

We  know  also  that  Ramabai  covets  the  prayers  of 
God’s  people.  It  has  therefore  been  on  our  hearts  to 
do  something  to  bring  this  work  more  definitely  be- 
fore the  Lord’s  remembrancers.  Ramabai  is  intensely 
desirous  that  all  the  glory  should  be  given  to  God.  In 
a recent  letter  she  writes : “ I do  not  want  to  be  in  this 
place,  or  have  anything  to  do  in  connection  with  it,  un- 
less the  Lord  wants  me  to  be  here.  It  is  all  His  work, 
and  He  will  take  care  of  it.  He  is  giving  me  joy,  and 
grace,  and  strength,  for  the  work  day  by  day.  I want 
you  to  pray  very  much  for  me,  that  I may  be  kept 
very  humble  and  close  to  Christ.”  She  says  that  she 
has  had  it  on  her  mind  to  ask  Christian  people  to  form 
prayer  circles  specially  to  pray  for  the  salvation  of  In- 
dia’s twenty-three  millions  of  widows.  She  believes 
that  if  two  or  three  believing  ones  would  meet  together 
and  agree  upon  this  subject,  and  pray  specially  for  it. 


INTRODUCTION 


7 


the  Lord  would  answer  their  prayer,  and  qualify  those 
whom  she  is  training  to  go  out  in  increasing  numbers 
with  the  Gospel  message.  In  a letter  I received  from 
her,  in  reference  to  this,  she  says : “ I shall  be  glad 
indeed  if  a Prayer  Circle  be  organized  in  England,  and 
the  Lord  permitting,  for  you  to  take  a leading  part  in 
organizing  it.  I tried  to  get  some  friends  to  do  it  when 
I was  in  England  in  1898;  but  it  was  not  the  Lord’s 
will  then  to  let  the  plan  be  carried  out.  I am  awaiting 
His  time  and  orders,  and  leave  everything  to  Him.” 

After  much  prayerful  consideration  we  have  therefore 
launched  the 

Sisters  of  India  Prayer  Union, 

to  include  first  of  all  the  work  for  India’s  daughters  in 
the  hands  of  Pandita  Ramabai,  and  any  other  work  of 
faith  and  labour  of  love  carried  on  by  the  women  of 
India  for  the  salvation  of  their  own  people. 

I shall  be  glad  to  send  further  particulars  to  any 
who  may  write  to  me. 


Helen  S.  Dyer. 


CONTENTS 


PAGE 

Introduction  5 

CHAPTER  I 

The  Child  of  the  Forest;  An  Orphan;  A Pilgrim;  A 
Wife;  And  a Widow ii 

CHAPTER  II 

The  Hindu  Widow  Begins  Her  Life-work:  Lessons 

Learned  in  England  and  America  30 

CHAPTER  HI 

Dreams  Become  Reality;  The  School  for  High-caste 
Widows  Established  in  India  38 

CHAPTER  IV 

A Visit  to  the  “ Sharada  Sadan,”  and  a Glimpse  at  Some 
of  its  Pupils  47 

CHAPTER  V 

Some  of  Ramabai’s  Pupils  Become  Christians ; Opposition 
and  Persecution  57 

CHAPTER  VI 

The  Marble  Halls  of  Hinduism  66 

CHAPTER  VII 

Plans  for  the  Future;  Ramabai’s  Spiritual  Experiences. . 77 

9 


lO 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER  VIII 

PAGE 

Asking  Great  Things  of  God  91 

CHAPTER  IX 

The  Famine  of  1897,  and  the  Rescue  of  Starving  Widows  100 
CHAPTER  X 

“ Mukti  ” — the  New  Settlement  at  Khedgaon  113 

CHAPTER  XI 

Material  Progress  and  Spiritual  Advancement  129 

CHAPTER  XII 

Rescue  Work  During  the  Famine  of  1900  145 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS 


Pandita  Ramabai 

Frontispiece. 

Ananta  Shastri  and  His  Family.  Facing  page 

I 2 

“ SuTTE  Piles”  .... 

, 

30 

SOONDERBAI  POWAR  .... 

• 

44 

View  of  Sharada  Sadan,  Poona  . 

. , 

48 

SoONDERBAI  IN  OxCART  IN  WHICH  SHE 

Visits 

THE  Women  of  Poona 

. 

50 

Group  of  Child-widows 

. 

52 

Two  Pupils  and  Their  Hindu  Mother 

54 

Six  Pupils  of  Sharada  Sadan  Who 

Have 

Confessed  Christ  .... 

58 

The  Gujerathi  Lassie 

. 

62 

Ramabai  Disguised  as  a Mahar  . 

• 

74 

Ramabai  and  a Missionary  Friend 

• 

78 

Missionary  and  Bible  Women 

. 

80 

Tara  as  Found  by  the  Well  . ) 

88 

Tara  and  Her  Christian  Husband  i 

Rescued  Widows  Marching  to  Dinner 

96 

A Victim  of  Starvation  ) 

TOO 

A Ruined  Home  \ 

Bible  Women  with  Bullock-tonga  Ready  to 


Start  for  the  Villages  to  Preach  the 
Gospel  io8 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS— 


Rescued  Famine  Children  at  Dinner  . 

A Hungry  Crowd  ..... 

The  Barn — the  First  Building  Erected  at 
Mukti  ....... 

Frontage  of  Main  Building  at  Mukti,  Show- 
ing Entrance  Gates  .... 

Chumpabai  and  Nermaddabai  .... 

Dairy  Work  at  Mukti  .... 

Hand  Looms,  on  which  Dresses  for  Women 
ARE  Woven  ...... 

The  Sick  from  Famine  Diseases,  at  Mukti 
Hospital  ...... 

The  Gardening  Staff,  with  Watering  Pots  . 
All  Grain  for  Bread  is  Ground  by  Women, 

WITH  THESE  PRIMITIVE  HaND  MiLLS 

Rev.  C.  B.  Ward  and  Thomas  Francis,  with 
Famine  Children  . . . . . 

Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  O.  Fox  and  Miss  McGrotty, 
WITH  Rescued  Famine  Boys  . 


no 

114 

116 

118 

124 

138 

140 

146 

148 

15° 

166 


168 


PANDITA  RAMABAI: 

The  Story  of  Her  Life 

CHAPTER  I. 

THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST  ; AN  ORPHAN  ; A PILGRIM 

A wife;  and  a widow. 

“ God  hath  chosen  the  weak  things  of  the  world  to  confound 
the  things  which  are  mighty ; and  base  things  of  the  world, 
and  things  which  are  despised,  hath  God  chosen,  yea,  and 
things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to  nought  things  that  are; 
that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  His  presence.” — I Cor.  i. 
27-29. 

An  eloquent  commentary  on  these  inspired  words 
may  be  found  in  the  life  and  work  of  Pandita 
Ramabai.  For  in  her  “ God  hath  chosen  ” a 
weak  Indian  widow  to  do  mighty  works  in  His  great 
name.  An  emancipated  member  of  a class  of  women  held 
in  the  bondage  of  idolatry  and  superstition  for  ages, 
Ramabai,  having  found  light,  liberty,  and  salvation  for 
herself,  seeks  the  same  for  her  fellow-widows,  her  race, 
and  her  country.  Measurably  in  sight  of  a comfortable 
Government  appointment — the  Eldorado  of  thousands 


II 


12 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


in  India — she  gave  it  up,  in  the  prospect  of  devoting 
herself  to  the  uplifting  and  enlightening  of  Hindu 
widows. 

It  is  characteristic  of  Ramabai  that  she  works  with 
all  her  heart  and  soul  for  the  highest  ideal  she  knows ; 
and  as  soon  as  more  light  dawns  upon  her,  she  leaves 
the  things  that  are  behind,  and  reaches  out  to  that 
which  opens  up  in  the  vista  of  the  future.  This  thought 
explains  the  developments  of  her  work  and  plans  dur- 
ing the  past  years,  and  prepares  those  who  know  her 
well  for  further  surprising  developments  in  the  future. 

If  Ramabai’s  work  has  not  patterned  itself  after  the 
exact  ideal  set  out  in  her  mind  when  she  returned  to 
India  in  1887 — to  begin  a school  that  should  open  the 
paths  of  knowledge  to  young  widows  in  such  a way 
that  they  should  not  have  to  dread  the  loss  of  their 
ancestral  religion — it  has  been  prosecuted  according  to 
the  pattern  revealed  to  her  “ in  the  Mount.”  ^ 
While  still  holding  open  a door  to  a liberal  education  to 
the  high  caste  Hindu  widow,  without  causing  her  to 
break  her  caste,  Ramabai  has  herself  become  the  mov- 
ing spirit  in  an  aggressive.  Evangelistic,  and  Indus- 
trial Mission. 

To  sketch  the  developments  of  this  work  as  per- 
sonally observed  by  the  writer,  is  the  object  of  these 
chapters;  but  an  outline  of  the  life-story  of  this  re- 
^ Heb.  viii.  5. 


Ananta  Shastri  and  His  Family 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


13 


markable  woman  is  necessary  for  those  unacquainted 
with  her  history. 

There  are  factors  in  making  Ramabai  the  woman 
she  is  which  date  back  to  forty  years  before  her  birth, 
when  her  father,  Ananta  Shastri,  a student  at  Poona, 
was  witness  of  the  (to  him)  astonishing  fact  that  a 
woman  could  be  taught  to  read  and  recite  Sanskrit. 
His  tutor  was  also  tutor  to  one  of  the  princesses  in  the 
household  of  the  Royal  Peishwa;  and  Ananta  Shastri 
made  up  his  mind  that  knowledge  was  an  excellent 
thing  for  a woman  as  well  as  for  a man,  and  that  his 
wife  should  be  taught  to  read  also.  In  due  time  he  re- 
turned to  his  ancestral  home  in  the  Mangalore  district ; 
but  his  bride  and  his  mother  both  opposed  his  efforts 
to  teach  the  former,  and  he  was  obliged  to  relinquish 
the  plan. 

Years  passed;  his  family  grew  up,  his  wife  died,  and 
he  set  out  on  pilgrimage.  From  a fellow-pilgrim  with 
daughters  he  obtained  a fine  little  girl  of  nine  years 
for  his  second  wife,  took  her  home  and  delivered  her 
to  his  mother,  as  usual,  for  domestic  training,  but  as- 
serted his  right  to  teach  the  child  to  read.  Continual 
opposition  caused  him  to  realize  that  this  experiment 
was  likely  to  fail  also;  so  he  took  his  wife  and  started 
off  into  the  forest,  where  a rude  home  was  made.  The 
child-wife  was  tenderly  cared  for,  but  sedulously 
taught;  so  that  in  the  process  of  years,  when  woman- 


14 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


hood  and  the  cares  of  family  life  came  on,  it  was  her 
voice  that  taught  the  sacred  learning  of  the  Brahmins 
to  the  children  of  the  family.  The  father  was  revered 
as  a holy  as  well  as  a learned  man,  and  pilgrims  and 
students  flocked  into  his  forest  home.  Ramabai  ven- 
erates the  memory  of  her  father,  believing  that,  like 
Cornelius,  the  old  Brahmin  scholar  was  one  of  the 
class  whom  Peter  confessed  to  be  “ accepted  ” with 
God.i 

It  was  in  this  forest  home  that  Ramabai’s  childhood 
was  spent;  and  among  her  earliest  recollections  are 
those  of  being  awakened  in  the  early  mornings  by  a 
loving  mother  to  hear  and  repeat  her  lessons.  Her 
love  of  reading  was  from  a child  remarkable.  San- 
skrit, in  which  all  the  classics  of  Hinduism  are  writ- 
ten, was  to  her  as  her  mother  tongue.  The  ponderous 
volumes  which  form  the  scriptures  of  Hinduism  were 
all  accessible  to  her,  and  she  became  familiar  with  their 
contents  and  doctrines.  At  twelve  years  of  age  she 
had  committed  to  memory  eighteen  thousand  verses 
from  the  Puranas.  This  religious  learning  forms  the 
highest  education  of  the  Brahmin  or  priestly  caste,  to 
which  Ramabai’s  family  belonged.  She  says  that 
though  she  was  not  formally  taught  Marathi,  yet  hear- 
ing her  parents  speak  it,  and  being  in  the  habit  of 
reading  newspapers  and  books  in  that  language,  she 
‘Acts  X,  35. 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


IS 

acquired  a correct  knowledge  of  it.  In  the  same  man- 
ner when  travelling  about  she  acquired  also  a knowl- 
edge of  Kanarese,  Hindustani,  and  Bengali.  In  fact, 
she  may  be  said  to  have  a knowledge  of  all  those  dia- 
lects of  India  which  are  based  on  the  Sanskrit,  the 
sacred  language  of  the  East.  With  her  parents  and 
brother  all  enthusiasts  in  Brahminic  learning,  and 
pioneers  in  the  education  of  women,  it  was  no  wonder 
that  Ramabai’s  remarkable  talents  were  cultivated,  till 
she  became,  under  their  instruction,  a “ prodigy  of 
erudition.” 

I have  before  me  a photograph  taken  in  Bombay  be- 
tween thirty  and  forty  years  ago.  It  is  a copy  of  an 
old  daguerreotype,  a family  group.  The  father,  an 
aged  man ; the  mother,  a comely  woman  under  thirty ; 
a boy  and  a girl  in  their  teens;  and  Ramabai,  a little 
maiden  of  seven,  nestling  at  her  mother’s  side.  Their 
Spartan  adherence  to  all  Hindu  customs  was  well  illus- 
trated by  this  journey  to  Bombay.  They  came  from 
the  Malabar  coast  by  sea  in  a country  vessel,  and  not 
a morsel  of  food  or  a drop  of  water  passed  the  lips 
of  one  of  them  while  on  the  journey,  which  lasted  three 
days — Ramabai  remembers  them  keenly  now,  as  days 
of  misery. 

The  poverty  that  overtook  the  family  in  Ramabai’s 
early  teens  was  partly  caused  by  the  open  house  kept 
for  so  many  years  for  pilgrims  and  students ; and  then 


i6 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


came  the  beginnings  of  the  terrible  famine  which  cul- 
minated in  South  India  in  1876-77,  but  which,  Ramabai 
says,  was  keenly  felt  by  many  three  years  before.  The 
share  of  the  ancestral  land,  to  which  her  brother  was 
heir,  was  sold,  with  his  consent,  to  pay  the  family 
debts,  and  the  family  went  on  pilgrimage.  How  they 
parted  with  all  their  money,  jewels,  and  valuables  in 
the  vain  hope  of  propitiating  the  gods  and  securing  a 
return  of  fortune’s  favours,  Ramabai  has  pathetically 
told  in  her  “ Famine  Experiences,”  as  follows : — 

“ My  recollections  carry  me  back  to  the  hard  times 
some  twenty-two  years  ago.  The  last  great  famine 
of  Madras  presidency  reached  its  climax  in  the  years 
1876-77,  but  it  began  at  least  three  years  before  that 
time.  I was  in  my  teens  then,  and  so  thoroughly  igno- 
rant of  the  outside  world  that  I cannot  remember  ob- 
serving the  condition  of  other  people,  yet  saw  enough 
of  distress  in  our  own  and  a few  other  families  to  rea- 
lize the  hard-heartedness  of  unchanged  human  nature. 

“ High  caste  and  respectable  poor  families,  who  are 
not  accustomed  to  hard  labour  and  pauperism,  suffered 
then,  as  they  do  now,  more  than  the  poorer  classes. 
My  own  people,  among  many  others,  fell  victims  to 
the  terrible  famine.  We  had  known  better  days.  My 
father  was  a land-holder  and  an  honoured  Pandit,*  and 
had  acquired  wealth  by  his  learning.  But  by-and-by, 
‘A  learned  man  or  teacher. 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


17 


when  he  became  old  and  infirm  and  blind  in  the  last 
days  of  his  earthly  life,  he  lost  all  the  property  in  one 
way  or  another.  My  brother,  sister,  and  myself,  had 
no  secular  education  to  enable  us  to  earn  our  liveli- 
hood by  better  work  than  manual  labour.  We  had  all 
the  sacred  learning  necessary  to  lead  an  honest  religious 
life,  but  the  pride  of  caste  and  superior  learning  and 
vanity  of  life  prevented  our  stooping  down  to  acquire 
some  industry  whereby  we  might  have  saved  the  pre- 
cious lives  of  our  parents. 

“ In  short,  we  had  no  common  sense,  and  foolishly 
spent  all  the  money  we  had  in  hand  in  giving  alms  to 
Brahmins  to  please  the  gods,  who,  we  thought,  would 
send  a shower  of  gold  mohurs  upon  us  and  make  us 
rich  and  happy.  We  went  to  several  sacred  places  and 
temples,  to  worship  different  gods  and  to  bathe  in 
sacred  rivers  and  tanks  to  free  ourselves  from  sin  and 
curse,  which  brought  poverty  on  us.  We  prostrated 
ourselves  ^ before  the  stone  and  metal  images  of  the 
gods,  and  prayed  to  them  day  and  night ; the  burden  of 
our  prayer  being  that  the  gods  would  be  pleased  to  give 
us  wealth,  learning,  and  renown.  My  dear  brother, 
a stalwart  young  fellow  of  twenty-one,  spoilt  his  health 
and  wasted  his  finely  built  body  by  fasting  months  and 
months.  But  nothing  came  of  all  this  futile  effort  to 
please  the  gods — the  stone  images  remained  as  hard  as 
ever,  and  never  answered  our  prayers.  Oh  that  we  had 


i8 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


found  out  then  that,  ‘ Every  man  is  brutish  in  his 
knowledge,  every  founder  is  confounded  by  the  graven 
image ; for  his  molten  image  is  falsehood  ’ ; ‘ The  idols 
have  spoken  vanity,  and  the  diviners  have  seen  a lie,  and 
have  told  false  dreams ; they  comfort  in  vain.’ 

“ We  knew  the  Vedanta,  and  knew  also  that  we  wor- 
shipped not  the  images,  but  some  gods  whom  they  repre- 
sented— still  all  our  learning  and  superior  knowledge 
was  of  no  avail.  We  bowed  to  the  idols  as  thousands 
of  learned  Brahmins  do.  We  expected  them  to  speak 
to  us  in  wonderful  oracles.  We  went  to  the  astrologers 
with  money  and  other  presents,  to  know  from  them  the 
minds  of  the  gods  concerning  us.  In  this  way  we  spent 
our  precious  time,  strength,  and  wealth,  in  vain. 
When  no  money  was  left  in  hand  we  began  to  sell  the 
valuable  things  belonging  to  us — jewelry,  costly  gar- 
ments, silver- ware;  and  even  the  cooking  vessels  of 
brass  and  copper  were  sold  to  the  last,  and  the  money 
spent  in  giving  alms  to  Brahmins  till  nothing  but  a 
few  silver  and  copper  coins  were  left  in  our  possession. 
\Xe  bought  coarse  rice  with  them  and  ate  very  sparing- 
ly ; but  it  did  not  last  long.  At  last  the  day  came  when 
we  had  finished  eating  the  last  grain  of  rice — and  noth- 
ing but  death  by  starvation  remained  for  our  portion. 
Oh  the  sorrow,  the  helplessness,  and  the  disgrace  of  the 
situation ! 

“ We  assembled  together  to  consider  what  we  should 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


19 


do  next;  and  after  a long  discussion  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  was  better  to  go  into  the  forest  and  die 
there  than  bear  the  disgrace  of  poverty  among  our  own 
people.  And  that  very  night  we  left  the  house  in  which 
we  were  staying  at  Tirpathy — a sacred  town  situated  on 
the  top  of  Venkatghiri — and  entered  into  the  great  for- 
est, determined  to  die  there.  Eleven  days  and  nights — 
in  which  we  subsisted  on  water  and  leaves  and  a handful 
of  wild  dates — were  spent  in  great  bodily  and  mental 
pain.  At  last  our  dear  old  father  could  hold  out  no 
longer — the  tortures  of  hunger  were  too  much  for  his 
poor,  old,  weak  body.  He  determined  to  drown  himself 
in  a sacred  tank  near  by,  thus  to  end  all  his  earthly  suf- 
fering. It  was  suggested  that  the  rest  of  us  should 
either  drown  ourselves,  or  break  the  family  and  go  our 
several  ways.  But  drowning  ourselves  seemed  most 
practicable.  To  drown  oneself  in  some  sacred  river  or 
tank  is  not  considered  suicide  by  the  Hindus ; so  we 
felt  free  to  put  an  end  to  our  lives  in  that  way.  Father 
wanted  to  drown  himself  first;  so  he  took  leave  of  all 
the  members  of  the  family  one  by  one.  I was  his 
youngest  child,  and  my  turn  came  last.  I shall  never 
forget  his  last  injunctions  to  me.  His  blind  eyes  could 
not  see  my  face;  but  he  held  me  tight  in  his  arms,  and 
stroking  my  head  and  cheeks,  he  told  me,  in  a few  words 
broken  with  emotion,  to  remember  how  he  loved  me, 
and  how  he  taught  me  to  do  right,  and  never  depart 


20 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


from  the  way  of  righteousness.  His  last  loving  com- 
mand to  me  was  to  lead  an  honourable  life  if  I lived  at 
all,  and  to  serve  God  all  my  life.  He  did  not  know 
the  only  true  God,  but  served  the — to  him — unknown 
God  with  all  his  heart  and  strength ; and  he  was  very 
desirous  that  his  children  should  serve  Him  to  the  last. 
‘ Remember,  my  child,’  he  said,  ‘ you  are  my  youngest, 
my  most  beloved  child.  I have  given  you  into  the  hand 
of  our  God ; you  are  His,  and  to  Him  alone  you  must 
belong,  and  serve  Him  all  your  life.’ 

“ He  could  speak  no  more.  My  father’s  prayers  for 
me  were,  no  doubt,  heard  by  the  Almighty,  the  all- 
merciful  Heavenly  Father,  whom  the  old  Hindu  did  not 
know.  The  God  of  all  flesh  did  not  find  it  impossible 
to  bring  me,  a great  sinner  and  unworthy  child  of  His, 
out  of  heathen  darkness  into  the  saving  light  of  His 
love  and  salvation.  I can  now  say  to  the  departed 
spirit  of  the  loving  parent — ‘ Yes,  dear  father,  I will 
serve  the  only  true  God  to  the  last.’  But  I could  not 
say  so  when  my  father  spoke  to  me  for  the  last  time. 
I listened  to  him,  but  was  too  ignorant,  too  bewildered 
to  understand  him,  or  make  an  intelligent  answer.  We 
were  after  this  dismissed  from  father’s  presence;  he 
wanted  an  hour  for  meditation  and  preparation  before 
death. 

“ While  we  were  placed  in  such  a bewildering  situ- 
ation, the  merciful  God,  who  so  often  prevents  His 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


21 


sinful  children  from  rushing  headlong  into  the  deep  pit 
of  sin,  came  to  our  rescue.  He  kept  us  from  the  dread- 
ful act  of  being  witnesses  to  the  suicide  of  our  own 
loved  father.  God  put  a noble  thought  into  the  heart  of 
my  brother,  who  said  he  could  not  bear  to  see  the  sad 
sight.  He  would  give  up  all  caste  pride  and  go  to  work 
to  support  our  old  parents ; and  as  father  was  unable  to 
walk,  he  said  he  would  carry  him  down  the  mountain 
into  the  nearest  village,  and  then  go  to  work.  He  made 
his  intentions  known  to  father,  and  begged  him  not  to 
drown  himself  in  the  sacred  tank.  So  the  question  was 
settled  for  that  time.  Our  hearts  were  gladdened,  and 
we  prepared  to  start  from  the  forest.  And  yet  we 
wished  very  much  that  a tiger,  a great  snake,  or  some 
other  wild  animal  would  put  an  end  to  our  lives.  We 
were  too  weak  to  move,  and  too  proud  to  beg  or  work 
to  earn  a livelihood.  But  the  resolution  was  made,  and 
we  dragged  ourselves  to  the  jungle  as  best  we  could. 

“ It  took  us  nearly  two  days  to  come  out  of  the  forest 
into  the  village  at  the  foot  of  the  mountain.  Father 
suffered  intensely  throughout  this  time.  Weakness 
caused  by  starvation  and  the  hardships  of  the  life  in  the 
wilderness  hastened  his  death.  We  reached  the  village 
with  great  difficulty,  and  took  shelter  in  a temple ; but 
the  Brahmin  priests  of  the  temple  would  not  let  us  stay 
there.  They  had  no  pity  for  the  weak  and  helpless. 
So  we  were  obliged  again  to  move  from  the  temple  and 


22 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


go  out  of  the  village  into  the  ruins  of  an  old  temple 
where  no  one  but  the  wild  animals  dwelt  in  the  night. 
There  we  stayed  for  four  days.  A young  Brahmin  see- 
ing the  helplessness  of  our  situation  gave  us  some  food. 

“ The  same  day  on  which  we  reached  that  village, 
my  father  was  attacked  by  fever  from  which  he  did  not 
recover.  On  the  first  day,  at  the  beginning  of  his  last 
illness,  he  asked  for  a little  sugar  and  water.  We  gave 
him  water,  but  could  not  give  sugar.  He  could  not  eat 
the  coarse  food,  and  shortly  after  he  became  un- 
conscious, and  died  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day. 

“ The  same  kind  young  Brahmin  who  had  given  us 
some  food  came  to  our  help  at  that  time.  He  could 
not  do  much.  He  was  not  sure  whether  we  were 
Brahmins  or  not ; and  as  none  of  his  co-villagers  would 
come  to  carry  the  dead,  he  could  not,  for  fear  of  being 
put  out  of  caste,  come  to  help  my  brother  to  carry  the 
remains  of  my  father.  But  he  had  the  kindness  to  let 
some  men  dig  a grave  at  his  own  expense,  and  follow 
the  funeral  party  as  far  as  the  river.  Father  had  en- 
tered the  Order  of  a Sannyasin  before  his  death.  So 
his  body  was  to  be  buried  in  the  ground  according  to 
the  commands  of  the  Shastras.  As  there  was  no  one 
else  to  carry  the  dead,  my  brother  tied  the  body  in  his 
dhoti  like  a bundle,  and  carried  it  alone  over  two  miles 
to  its  last  resting-place.  We  sadly  followed  to  the  river 
bank,  and  helped  him  a little.  So  we  buried  our  father 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


23 


outside  that  village,  away  from  all  human  habitation, 
and  returned  with  heavy  hearts  to  the  ruins  of  the  old 
temple  where  we  had  taken  up  our  abode.  That  same 
evening  our  mother  was  attacked  by  fever,  and  said  she 
would  not  live  much  longer.  But  we  had  to  leave  the 
place ; there  was  no  work  to  be  found,  and  no  food  to  be 
had.  We  walked  with  our  sick  mother  for  awhile,  and 
then  some  kind-hearted  people  gave  us  a little  food  and 
money  to  pay  our  fare  as  far  as  Raichur.  There  we 
stayed  for  some  weeks,  being  quite  unable  to  move  from 
that  town,  owing  to  the  illness  of  our  mother.  Our  life 
at  Raichur  was  a continuous  story  of  hopelessness  and 
starvation.  Brother  was  too  weak  to  work,  and  we 
could  not  make  up  our  minds  to  go  to  beg.  Now  and 
then  kind  people  gave  us  some  food.  Mother  suffered 
intensely  from  fever  and  hunger.  We,  too,  suffered 
from  hunger  and  weakness ; but  the  sufferings  of  our 
mother  were  more  than  we  could  bear  to  see.  Yet  we 
had  to  keep  still  through  sheer  helplessness.  Now  and 
then,  when  delirious,  mother  would  ask  for  different 
kinds  of  food.  She  could  eat  but  little ; yet  we  were 
unable  to  give  her  the  little  she  wanted. 

“ Once  she  suffered  so  much  from  hunger  that  she 
could  bear  it  no  longer,  and  sent  me  into  a neighbour’s 
house  to  beg  a little  piece  of  coarse  bajree  cake.  I went 
there  very  reluctantly.  The  lady  spoke  kindly  to  me; 
but  I could  on  no  account  open  my  mouth  to  beg  that 


24 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


piece  of  bajree  bread.  With  superhuman  effort  and  a 
firm  resolution  to  keep  my  feelings  from  that  lady,  I 
kept  the  tears  back;  but  they  poured  out  of  my  nose 
instead  of  my  eyes,  in  spite  of  me,  and  the  expression  of 
my  face  told  its  own  story.  The  kind  Brahmin  lady, 
guessing  what  was  in  my  mind,  asked  me  if  I would 
like  to  have  some  food;  so  I said,  ‘ Yes,  I want  only  a 
piece  of  bajree  bread.’  She  gave  me  what  I wanted, 
and  I felt  very  grateful ; but  could  not  say  a word  to 
express  my  gratitude.  I ran  to  my  mother  in  great 
haste,  and  gave  it  to  her.  But  she  could  not  eat ; she 
was  too  weak.  The  fever  was  on  her ; she 
became  unconscious,  and  died  in  a few  days  after  that. 
Her  funeral  was  as  sad  as  that  of  my  father,  with  the 
exception  that  two  Brahmins  came  to  help  my  brother 
and  me  to  carry  her  body  to  the  burning  ground,  about 
three  miles  from  the  town. 

“ I need  not  lengthen  this  account  with  our  subse- 
quent experiences.  My  elder  sister  also  died  of  starv- 
ation, after  suffering  from  illness  and  hunger.  Dur- 
ing those  few  months  before  our  sister  died,  we  three 
travelled  on  foot  from  place  to  place  in  search  of  food 
and  work ; but  we  could  not  get  much  of  either.  My 
brother  and  myself  continued  our  sad  pilgrimage  to  the 
northern  boundary  of  India,  and  back  to  the  east  as  far 
as  Calcutta.  Brother  got  work  here  and  there ; but  most 
of  the  time  we  lived  wanderers’  lives.  Very  often  we 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


25 


had  to  go  without  food  for  days.  Even  when  my 
brother  had  work  to  do,  he  got  so  little  wages — only 
four  rupees  a month,  and  sometimes  much  less  than 
that — that  we  were  obliged  to  live  on  a handful  of  grain 
soaked  in  water,  and  a little  salt.  We  had  no  blankets 
or  thick  garments  to  cover  ourselves ; and,  when  trav- 
elling, we  had  to  walk  barefoot,  without  umbrellas, 
and  to  rest  in  the  night,  either  under  the  trees  on  the 
roadside  or  the  arches  of  bridges,  or  lie  down  on  the 
ground  in  the  open  air.  Once  on  the  banks  of  the 
Jhelum,  a river  in  the  Punjab,  we  were  obliged  to  rest 
at  night  in  the  open  air,  and  tried  to  keep  off  the  intense 
cold  by  digging  two  grave-like  pits,  and  putting  our- 
selves into  them  and  covering  our  bodies — except  our 
heads — with  dry  sand  of  the  river  bank.  Sometimes 
the  demands  of  hunger  were  so  great  that  we  would 
satisfy  our  empty  stomachs  by  eating  a handful  of  wild 
berries,  and  swallowing  the  hard  stones  together  with 
their  coarse  skins.” 

It  was  during  these  wanderings  with  her  brother  that 
Ramabai’s  faith  in  the  Hindu  religion  was  shaken, 
though  until  twenty  years  of  age  she  worshipped  the 
gods  of  brass  and  stone.  The  freedom  of  their  lives 
had  given  to  the  brother  and  sister  keen  powers  of  ob- 
servation, and  they  resolved  to  test  the  teachings  of  the 
sacred  books  whenever  possible.  The  following  is  but 
one  of  many  tests  that  exposed  the  hollowness  of  their 


26 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


religion,  and  the  deception  of  the  priests.  They  had 
been  taught  that  in  the  Himalayas  there  was  a beautiful 
lake,  in  which  were  seven  floating  mountains — the 
forms  in  which  seven  sages,  or  Mahatmas,  appeared. 
When  sinless  pilgrims  came  to  the  shore,  the  Mahatmas 
floated  toward  them,  and  received  their  worship ; but 
before  the  wicked  they  were  immovable.  During  their 
journeyings,  Ramabai  and  her  brother,  to  their  surprise 
and  joy,  found  themselves  near  this  lake,  and  beheld  the 
mountains.  They  prostrated  themselves,  but  received 
no  sign.  The  priests  warned  them  against  going  into 
the  water,  lest  they  be  devoured  by  crocodiles ; but  the 
brother,  early  in  the  morning,  when  the  priests  were  not 
on  the  watch,  dared  the  crocodiles,  and  swam  out  to 
the  mountains.  He  found  them  to  be  masses  of  stone 
and  mud  planted  with  trees,  standing  on  rafts.  The 
whole  mystery  was  soon  cleared.  Behind  the  moun- 
tains a little  boat  was  concealed.  When  a poor  pilgrim, 
desirous  of  being  considered  sinless,  crossed  the  palm 
of  a priest’s  hand  with  sufficient  coin,  and  called  on  the 
Mahatmas  to  float  toward  him,  a priest  in  the  boat  gave 
the  raft  a push  toward  him,  and  he  went  away  happy  in 
his  delusion. 

While  wandering  from  place  to  place,  Ramabai  had 
free  access  to  the  homes  of  the  high-caste  Hindus ; saw 
the  home-life  in  all  its  cruel  details,  and  resolved  to  de- 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


27 


vote  her  life  to  the  redemption  of  her  unfortunate  sis- 
ters, especially  the  child-widows. 

Ramabai  and  her  brother  gradually  developed  into 
public  lecturers  in  the  cause  of  the  education  of  women. 
In  Calcutta,  Ramabai  attracted  much  attention ; and  a 
solemn  conclave  of  Pandits  bestowed  on  her  the  title  of 
Sarasvati,  on  account  of  her  learning.  She  is  the  only 
woman  who  has  been  permitted  to  call  herself  Pandita. 
The  Pandits  were  astonished  at  her  learning.  Beside 
her  thorough  knowledge  of  their  sacred  books,  she  had 
acquired  fluency  in  seven  of  the  languages  of  India ; and 
her  ideas  on  reform  were  remarkable  for  so  young  a 
person. 

Echoes  of  Ramabai’s  lectures  reached  England  even 
at  this  early  date  (December,  1880).  A gentleman  in 
India,  writing  to  a friend  there,  told  of  an  accomplished 
Brahmin  lady  travelling  through  Bengal  with  her 
brother,  holding  meetings  on  the  education  and  emanci- 
pation of  women.  “ They  were  received  everywhere,” 
said  this  Indian  correspondent,  “ with  great  enthusiasm 
by  the  Hindus,  who  were  delighted  to  hear  their  holy 
Sanskrit  from  a woman’s  lips.  It  seemed  to  them  as  if 
Sarasvati  (the  goddess  of  eloquence)  had  come  down 
to  visit  them.  Instead  of  a hot,  confined  room,  we 
had  a long  and  broad  terrace  open  to  the  sky,  and  with 
the  Ganges  flowing  at  our  feet.  The  meeting  was  at 


28 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


half-past  four  in  the  afternoon,  by  which  time  the  ter- 
race was  shaded  from  the  sun  by  trees  and  houses  to 
the  westward.  At  the  eastern  end  of  the  terrace  a 
small  marble  table,  with  a glass  of  flowers  on  it,  and 
some  chairs  were  set,  and  there  Ramabai  stood  up  fac- 
ing the  west  and  addressed  her  audience.  On  her  right 
was  the  Ganges,  covered  with  large,  broad-sailed  boats, 
of  a type  which  perhaps  has  lasted  for  two  thousand 
years.  There  was  little  or  nothing  around  to  remind 
her  or  her  audience  of  European  civilization.  The 
clear,  blue  sky  and  the  broad  river  coming  sweeping 
down  from  the  walls  of  Benares  dominated  everything 
else.”  This  writer  adds  that  “ the  young  lady  is 
twenty-two  years  of  age,  the  daughter  of  a learned 
Pandit,  slight  and  girlish  looking,  with  a fair  com- 
plexion and  light  grey  eyes.  She  is  now  engaged  to 
be  married  to  a Bengali  pleader,  an  hl.A.  of  Calcutta 
University.” 

Ramabai’s  parents  had,  contrary  to  custom,  refrained 
from  marrying  her  at  an  early  age.  They  had  be- 
trothed the  elder  daughter  in  infancy  to  a youth  whose 
parents  solemnly  promised  should  be  educated  to  equal 
his  bride.  But  these  people  broke  their  promise,  and 
great  trouble  resulted  when  the  time  for  consummating 
the  marriage  arrived.  Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  to 
prevent  such  a calamity  occurring  in  the  case  of  their 


THE  CHILD  OF  THE  FOREST 


29 


second  daughter,  her  marriage  was  put  off ; and  then, 
at  the  age  of  sixteen,  the  parents  passed  away  within 
six  weeks  of  each  other. 

Before  Ramabai  and  her  brother  had  been  long  in 
Calcutta,  the  latter,  weakened  by  years  of  privation,  was 
taken  ill  and  died.  His  chief  concern  during  his  brief 
illness  was  for  his  unprotected  sister.  “ God  will  take 
care  of  me,”  said  she,  to  comfort  him.  “ Then,”  he 
replied,  “ all  will  be  well.” 

Shortly  after,  Ramabai  was  married  to  the  educated 
Bengali  gentleman  mentioned  above,  who  took  her  to 
his  home  in  Assam.  The  marriage  was  a civil  rite,  for 
they  had  rejected  Hinduism,  and  knew  nothing  of 
Christ.  The  marriage  was  a happy  one,  but  of  pain- 
fully short  duration.  In  nineteen  months,  cholera 
snatched  away  the  husband,  leaving  Ramabai,  with  her 
little  daughter,  Manorama  (heart’s  joy),  to  begin  her 
career  as  an  Indian  widow. 


CHAPTER  II. 


THE  HINDU  WIDOW  BEGINS  HER  LIFE-WORK:  LESSONS 

LEARNED  IN  ENGLAND  AND  AMERICA. 

“ Thy  words  were  found,  and  I did  eat  them ; and  Thy 
word  was  unto  me  the  joy  and  rejoicing  of  mine  heart: 
for  I am  called  by  Thy  name,  O Lord  God  of  Hosts.” — 
Jer.  XV.  i6. 

RAMABAI’S  position  in  her  widowed  state  dif- 
fered from  that  of  the  millions  of  her  fellow- 
countrywomen  when  bereaved  of  their  natural 
protectors,  in  that  she  was  not  ignorant  of  the  world  and 
its  ways,  and  by  the  fact  that  she  had  an  education  fit- 
ting her  to  open  out  a path  of  usefulness  for  herself. 

Accordingly,  we  find  her,  within  a few  months  of  the 
death  of  her  husband,  at  Poona,  the  ancient  capital  of 
the  Marathas,  having  resumed  her  former  occupation  as 
lecturer  on  the  Education  of  Women. 

The  evil  custom  of  confining  high-caste  women  with- 
in the  four  walls  of  the  Zenana,  which  prevails  in  the 
North-West  Provinces  and  other  parts  of  India,  is  un- 
known among  the  Brahmins  of  the  Maratha  country. 
In  Poona  and  Bombay  all  IMaratha  women  are  free  to 

30 


I 


‘ SuTTE  Piles  ’’ 


BEGINS  HER  LIFE  WORK 


3* 


walk  and  ride  abroad,  to  see  and  to  be  seen.  This,  and 
the  fact  that  Ramabai  had  relatives  and  family  connec- 
tions in  Poona,  drew  her  to  recommence  her  career  as 
a lecturer  at  this  great  centre  of  Brahminism. 

In  prosecuting  her  object,  Ramabai  took  her  stand 
upon  her  knowledge  of  the  Shastras,  and  maintained 
that  their  ancient  teaching  enjoined  the  instruction  of 
women;  and  that  the  neglected  and  ignorant  condition 
of  women  was  a modern  descent  into  degradation.  She 
advocated  that  high-caste  girls  should  be  instructed  be- 
fore marriage  in  Sanskrit  and  the  vernacular.  She  also 
strongly  condemned  the  practice  of  child-marriage. 

Ramabai’s  lectures  made  a wide  impression  upon  the 
best  families  in  Poona,  and,  through  her  instrumen- 
tality, a Society  of  high-caste  women  was  formed,  hav- 
ing for  its  object  the  education  of  girls  and  the  post- 
ponement of  marriage  to  maturity.  Encouraged  by 
the  success  of  this  project  in  Poona,  Ramabai  went 
from  city  to  city  throughout  the  Maratha  country, 
forming  branches  of  the  Arya  Mahila  Somaj,  as  this 
woman’s  Society  was  called.  Ramabai  also  busied  her- 
self with  writing  and  translating,  in  the  endeavour  to 
create  a literature  helpful  to  her  cause.  In  her  leisure 
hours  she  gave  lessons  on  morality  and  religion  to  the 
women  of  Poona. 

It  was  on  Ramabai’s  heart  during  this  time  to  start 
an  institution  for  the  education  and  succour  of  helpless 


32 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


widows.  In  this  class  she  saw,  in  faith,  the  future 
teachers  of  the  high-caste  girls.  But  she  failed  in  get- 
ting the  necessary  financial  support  from  the  Hindu 
community  to  put  this  cherished  plan  into  execution. 
It  was  here  and  now,  however,  that  she  rescued  her  first 
widow.  The  girl  was  a waif  of  the  Poona  streets,  a 
Brahmin  child  of  twelve  years,  cast  out  by  her  hus- 
band’s relatives  after  his  death.  For  several  years  she 
had  lived  the  life  of  a street  arab.  Her  appeal  to 
Ramabai  was  not  on  the  ground  of  starvation  and 
homelessness,  but  on  the  ever-increasing  difficulty  of 
keeping  her  budding  womanly  honour  intact.  To  her 
homely  face  and  strange  defective  eyes  she  probably 
owed  her  escape  from  the  harpies  of  vice  thus  far. 

Ramabai  was  poor  herself,  but  she  took  the  girl  in, 
to  share  whatever  food  she  had,  and  to  protect  her  from 
wrong  and  outrage.  She  is  now  a useful  Bible- 
woman,  labouring  in  connection  with  Ramabai’s  settle- 
ment at  Mukti. 

In  1882  the  British  Government  appointed  a Com- 
mission to  inquire  into  the  question  of  Education  in 
India.  The  terms  of  reference  included  the  definite  and 
separate  question  of  female  education;  and  when  the 
Commission  visited  Poona,  it  was  invited  to  a reception 
by  over  three  hundred  Brahmin  women  connected  with 
Ramabai’s  Arya  Mahila  Somaj,  who  with  their  children 


BEGINS  HER  LIFE  WORK 


33 


assembled  in  the  Town  Hall  at  Poona.  Ramabai  was 
the  speaker,  and  her  subject  the  Education  of  Women. 

Subsequently  Ramabai  was  examined  before  the 
Commission,  and  the  President  was  so  struck  with  her 
evidence  that  he  had  it  translated  from  the  Marathi  and 
printed  in  English.  In  her  replies  to  the  questions 
put  by  the  Commission,  Ramabai  told  of  her  father’s 
strenuous  efforts  for  the  education  of  women,  of  her 
brother’s  views,  and  those  of  her  late  husband,  who 
was  a Vakil, ^ and  fellow  of  Calcutta  University.  She 
told  the  Commission  that  she  felt  herself  bound  to  the 
end  of  her  life  to  labour  on  behalf  of  her  country- 
women. She  advocated  that  Girls’  Schools  should 
have  specially  trained  women  teachers;  that  women  in- 
spectors should  also  be  employed;  and  concluded  with 
a forcible  appeal  that  Government  should  make  pro- 
vision for  the  study  of  medicine  by  women,  doctors  of 
their  own  sex  being,  in  her  opinion,  one  of  the  greatest 
needs  of  the  women  of  India. 

The  publicity  given  to  the  proceedings  of  the  Edu- 
cation Commission  brought  Ramabai  into  notice  in  cir- 
cles other  than  the  Marathi  Brahmins.  She  now  began 
to  feel  that  she  herself  needed  more  training  and  experi- 
ence in  regard  to  the  education  of  others.  At  this  time 
she  was  unacquainted  with  the  English  language,  al- 
though so  well  versed  in  those  of  India;  and  the  idea 
* A lawyer. 


34 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


that  she  should  go  to  England  for  study  and  training 
forced  itself  again  and  again  upon  her  mind. 

Ever  since  the  death  of  her  brother,  and  more  par- 
ticularly again  after  her  husband  died,  Ramabai  had  felt 
in  an  undefined  manner  that  God  was  guiding  her. 
Disillusioned  by  painful  experiences  during  her  girl- 
hood from  the  superstitions  of  Hinduism,  she  was  still 
working  from  the  Hindu  standpoint.  She  knew  but 
little  of  Christianity,  and  had  no  thought  of  becoming  a 
Christian,  but  believed  in  an  all-powerful  deity  whom 
she  felt  to  be  guiding  her.  Her  mind  became  possessed 
of  a divine  unrest;  and  given  the  opportunity,  she  one 
day  found  herself  bound  for  England — going  forth,  as 
she  says,  like  Abraham,  not  knowing  whither  she  went. 
Arriving  in  England  with  her  baby  daughter,  Ramabai 
was  kindly  received  by  a Church  of  England  Sisterhood 
at  Wantage,  a community  having  a mission  at  Poona. 
Here  she  remained  for  a year,  studying  the  English 
language,  and  adding  to  her  stock  of  information  in 
many  ways. 

Four  years  before,  when  in  Calcutta,  Ramabai  had 
made  her  first  acquaintance  with  the  Christian  Scrip- 
tures. Keshub  Chunder  Sen,  the  founder  of  the 
Brahmo  sect  of  Reformed  Hindus,  had  given  her  a lit- 
tle book  of  precepts  from  all  religions,  most  of  which 
were  from  the  New  Testament.  This  greatly  attracted 


BEGINS  HER  LIFE  WORK 


35 

her ; and  later  she  possessed  herself  of  a complete  Bible, 
and  commenced  to  read  it. 

At  Wantage,  time  and  opportunity  to  study  the  sub- 
ject were  afforded ; and  here  Ramabai  confessed  herself 
a Christian,  and  was  baptized,  with  her  little  daughter, 
according  to  the  custom  of  the  Church  of  England,  on 
September  29th,  1883. 

The  difference  that  Ramabai  at  that  time  discerned 
between  the  good  precepts  of  the  Hindu  Scriptures  and 
the  Gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  she  thus  expressed : “ While 
the  old  Hindu  Scriptures  have  given  us  some  beautiful 
precepts  of  loving,  the  New  Dispensation  of  Christ  has 
given  us  the  grace  to  carry  these  principles  into  prac- 
tice ; and  that  makes  all  the  difference  in  the  world. 
The  precepts  are  like  a steam  engine  on  the  track,  beau- 
tiful and  with  great  possibilities;  Christ  and  His  Gospel 
are  the  steam,  the  motive  power  that  can  make  the 
engine  move.” 

After  the  year  spent  at  Wantage,  Ramabai  received 
the  appointment  of  Professor  of  Sanskrit  in  the  Chelt- 
enham Ladies’  College,  where  she  found  opportunity  to 
study  mathematics,  natural  science,  and  English  liter- 
ature. The  immediate  goal  of  her  mental  horizon  was 
at  this  time  bounded  by  a possible  Government  appoint- 
ment in  connection  with  the  education  of  women  in 
India. 


36 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


A year  and  a half  was  spent  at  Cheltenham,  when  an 
invitation  to  visit  America  opened  out  a new  vista  be- 
fore Ramabai’s  eyes,  and  led  to  important  results.  A 
high-caste  Hindu  lady  from  Poona,  a friend  and  relative 
of  Ramabai,  had  followed  her  in  her  determination  to  be 
of  use  to  the  millions  of  their  fellow-countrywomen. 
Anandibai  Joshi  had  reached  America,  and  studied 
medicine  in  the  Women's  Medical  College  of  Philadel- 
phia. She  was  now  about  to  graduate  as  M.D.,  and  the 
invitation  to  Ramabai  was  to  witness  this  ceremony. 
Ramabai’s  mind  was  agitated,  she  did  not  desire  any 
interruption  to  her  studies ; but  finally  came  to  the  con- 
clusion that  it  would  be  a help  to  her  life-work  to  visit 
America.  She  went  with  the  intention  of  staying  a 
few  weeks.  She  stayed  almost  three  years. 

The  public  school  system  of  America — including 
girls  as  well  as  boys,  and  the  Kindergarten,  training 
hand  as  well  as  head — greatly  attracted  Ramabai.  She 
felt  she  must  remain  and  study  these ; and  in  the  course 
of  a few  months  she  enrolled  herself  for  a course  of 
Kindergarten  study  in  a Philadelphia  training  school. 

In  Rachel  Bodley,  A.M.,  M.D.,  the  Dean  of  the  Wo- 
men’s Medical  College  in  Philadelphia,  Ramabai  found  a 
true  friend,  and  with  her  also  a home.  Dr.  Bodley 
had  sheltered  Anandibai  Joshi,  and  helped  her  in  her 
studies ; and  the  sad  news  of  the  untimely  death  of  that 
devoted  little  Indian  woman,  a few  months  after  her  re- 


BEGINS  HER  LIFE  WORK 


37 


turn  to  her  husband  and  home  in  India,  bound  Dr. 
Bodley  more  closely  to  Ramabai,  and  evoked  in  her  a 
keener  interest  in  her  plans  for  the  future.  For  now  all 
Ramabai’s  old  desire  to  benefit  her  countrj-'women  by 
founding  schools  which  combined  the  training  of  the 
hand  with  that  of  the  head,  revived;  and  forsaking 
plans  which  regarded  only  the  higher  education  of  the 
few  women  in  Government  High  Schools  or  Colleges 
in  India,  she  concentrated  her  thoughts  upon  native 
schools  founded  by  and  for  native  women. 

"While  living  with  Dr.  Bodley  and  studying  Kinder- 
garten methods,  Ramabai  wrote  her  famous  book,  en- 
titled, “ The  High-Caste  Hindu  Woman.”  Here  she 
portrayed  the  true  history  of  countless  thousands  of 
lives  doomed  by  a perverted  and  decaying  religious  sys- 
tem of  lifelong  ignorance ; to  child-marriage  with  all  its 
evils ; to  the  absorption  of  young  wives  into  the  joint 
family  system ; to  the  terrible  abuse  and  degradation  of 
widowhood;  and  to  the  re-action  of  this  treatment  of 
women  upon  social  and  family  life  in  India. 

Dr.  Bodley  prefaced  the  book  with  an  admirable 
treatise,  sketching  the  devoted  life  and  early  death  of 
Anandibai  Joshi,  relating  Ramabai’s  history,  and  sup- 
porting and  enforcing  her  appeal  for  help  to  go  back  to 
India  and  found  an  educational  home  for  young 
widows,  who  in  their  turn  should  go  forth  as  teachers 
to  enlighten  the  darkness  of  their  countrywomen. 


CHAPTER  III. 


DREAMS  BECOME  REALITY;  THE  SCHOOL  FOR  HIGH- 
CASTE  WIDOWS  ESTABLISHED  IN  INDIA. 

“ He  brought  them  forth  also  with  silver  and  gold.” — PsA. 

cv.  37. 

4 i ^ I HE  silence  of  a thousand  years  has  been 
I broken  ! ” aptly  declared  Dr.  Bodley  in  her 
preface  to  Ramabai’s  volume,  entitled, 
“ The  High-Caste  Hindu  Woman.” 

Missionaries  and  travellers  had  had  many  a story  to 
tell  of  the  inaccessibility  of  Hindu  women  immured 
within  the  four  walls  of  the  Zenana.  Those  who  had 
gained  access  behind  the  purdah,  or  mingled  with  the 
castes  not  entirely  secluded,  had  felt  the  wall  of  separa- 
tion raised  by  Oriental  customs ; so  that,  as  yet,  but  a 
corner  of  the  vail  had  been  lifted.  But  now  a voice 
had  arisen  from  among  themselves  to  tell  with  intimate 
knowledge  how  the  ironbound  customs  of  centuries  had 
ground  woman  into  a position  of  servitude  and  igno- 
rance ; making  her  at  one  and  the  same  time  the  slave  of 
man,  and  his  greatest  hindrance  in  rising  to  the  higher 
plane  of  life  held  out  by  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ. 

38 


DREAMS  BECOME  REALITY 


39 


The  book  opened  the  way  for  Ramabai  to  the  hearts 
of  a class  of  cultured,  earnest  American  women,  who 
became  deeply  interested  in  the  story  of  the  imprisoned, 
contracted  lives  of  India’s  daughters.  Many  of  these 
were  the  abolitionists  of  America’s  great  anti-slavery 
struggle  of  the  previous  decade.  In  the  ranks  of  the 
Woman’s  Christian  Temperance  Union  Ramabai  found 
much  help  and  encouragement.  The  late  Frances  E. 
Willard  became  her  warm  friend,  and  through  her  in- 
fluence much  interest  was  evoked. 

Ramabai’s  lifelong  desire  to  educate  Hindu  widows — 
that  through  them  a door  might  be  opened  into  the 
dense  darkness  of  Hinduism — now  took  tangible  shape. 
Ramabai  travelled  up  and  down  the  United  States, 
speaking  to  large  audiences  here,  and  drawing-room 
meetings  there,  gaining  interest  and  forming  circles  of 
help;  at  the  same  time  exercising  an  alert  eye  with  re- 
gard to  every  kind  of  educational  enterprise  with  which 
she  came  in  contact,  noting  many  points  for  adaptation 
to  the  work  in  India  later  on. 

At  an  overflowing  meeting  held  in  Boston  in  May, 
1887,  when  the  audience  was  moved  to  tears  and  laugh- 
ter by  her  pathos  and  keen  wit,  a provisional  committee 
of  women  was  formed  to  consider  Ramabai’s  plans — to 
act  with  her,  and  report  later.  On  December  13th  of 
the  same  year,  at  another  public  meeting,  the  Provision- 
al Committee  presented  a report  that  was  accepted,  a 


40 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


list  of  officers  who  were  elected,  a constitution  that  was 
adopted;  and  the  temporary  Association  became  an 
organized  body — it  seemed  to  spring  into  existence — 
and  Ramabai  saw  her  long-cherished  plans  take  definite 
form.  That  night  her  joy  was  too  great  for  sleep; 
when  found  sobbing  in  her  room,  she  exclaimed,  “ I am 
crying  for  joy  that  my  dream  of  years  has  become  a 
reality.”  The  President  and  Vice-President  of  the  As- 
sociation comprised  members  of  five  denominations ; the 
Board  of  Trustees,  composed  of  some  of  the  best  busi- 
ness and  professional  men  of  Boston,  was  equally  un- 
sectarian, as  was  the  Executive  Committee,  formed  en- 
tirely of  women. 

Among  converts  to  Christianity  in  India,  especially 
those  of  the  older  Missions,  there  is  a frequent  trend  to- 
wards a European  style  of  living,  fostered  in  some  cases, 
without  any  intention  on  the  part  of  the  missionary,  by 
the  life  in  Christian  boarding-schools,  conducted  after 
European  plans.  This,  by  setting  Western  ideals  of 
life  before  the  Indian  Christian,  leads  to  discontent  with 
the  simple  native  customs  of  food  and  dress.  Their 
incomes  will  not  support  them  in  Western  luxuries; 
and,  in  consequence,  the  converts  find  themselves  fre- 
quently in  debt  and  difficulty. 

This  aspect  of  conversion  to  Christianity  is  looked 
upon  with  great  disfavour  by  the  Hindu  community; 
and  by  its  more  ignorant  members  is  regarded  as  part 


DREAMS  BECOME  REALITY 


41 


of  the  Christian  religion.  Ramabai  keenly  felt  this 
anomaly ; and  realizing  that  Christianity  was  an  Asiatic 
religion,  and  as  such  ought  to  be  adaptable  to  India 
without  Western  additions,  she  wisely  determined  to 
maintain  her  Indian  habits  in  all  customs  of  food  and 
dress.  She  would  show  her  country  people,  on  her 
return  to  India,  that  to  become  Christians,  it  was  not 
necessary  to  denationalise  themselves. 

In  fact,  Ramabai’s  strict  vegetarian  diet  must  have 
caused  some  difficulty  to  her  American  hostesses,  even 
as  their  grand  dinners,  of  which  she  could  eat  so  little, 
were  a source  of  embarrassment  to  her.  Brought  up 
as  she  had  been,  with  an  intense  repugnance  to  any 
kind  of  flesh-eating,  it  was  an  ordeal  to  be  seated  at 
table  in  the  place  of  honour  next  to  the  host,  with  a 
smoking  roast  of  meat  in  front  of  him  (the  smell  of 
which  overpowered  her),  and  to  have  to  decline  every- 
thing except  a little  bread  and  plain  vegetable.  But 
Ramabai,  persevered  in  her  determination,  and  returned 
to  India  as  much  of  a Brahmin  in  food  and  habits,  save 
as  to  their  religious  aspects,  as  she  left  it. 

Ramabai  having  become  a Christian,  placed  her,  how- 
ever, in  a more  serious  difficulty  than  that  of  food,  viz., 
the  place  in  regard  to  religion  which  her  educational 
home  for  widows  should  occupy.  She  had  left  her 
country  in  full  sympathy  with  the  more  advanced  Hin- 
du reformers ; she  was  returning,  having  cut  herself  off 


42 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


from  their  s}Tnpathies  by  becoming  a Christian.  But 
she  yearned  more  than  ever  to  reach  her  own  people; 
and  the  only  method  that  approved  itself  to  her  judg- 
ment was  to  offer  an  education  neutral  as  to  religious 
teaching.  Her  plans  in  this  respect  were  fully  criticised 
as  she  went  about  expounding  them  to  American  audi- 
ences. 

Many  spiritually-minded  people  committed  to  mis- 
sionary enterprise  could  not  see  why  Ramabai  should 
not  cast  in  her  lot  with  some  Mission,  and  open  an 
avowed  Mission  School.  But  Ramabai  was  strongly 
of  opinion  that  no  Mission  School  would  reach  the  class 
for  which  her  heart  was  aching.  The  people  were  too 
prejudiced  against  Christianity.  Their  widows  were 
taught  that  it  was  better  to  commit  suicide  and  be  sure 
of  heaven,  rather  than  enter  any  institution  established 
for  the  purpose  of  turning  them  from  their  ancestral 
faith. 

In  the  midst  of  this  controversy,  Ramabai  cast  no 
slur  on  T^Iissions  or  Mission  work ; but  she  rallied  many 
to  her  standard  outside  of  the  ordinary  supporters  of 
^Missions.  In  an  interview  with  the  representative  of  a 
Chicago  daily  paper,  in  December,  1887,  on  being  asked 
to  give  her  opinion  on  the  good  done  by  missionaries  in 
India,  Ramabai  said : “ Missionaries  are  showing  by 

their  precepts  and  example  that  Christianity  does  not 
mean  going  into  other  countries  and  taking  possession 


DREAMS  BECOME  REALITY 


43 


of  them,  putting  taxes  upon  the  people,  introducing  the 
liquor  traffic,  and  gaining  a great  deal  of  revenue  from 
the  infamous  traffics  in  rum  and  opium.  As  their 
numbers  multiply  they  are  gaining  a foothold  in  the 
country,  and  also  commanding  the  love  and  respect  of 
the  people  by  their  earnestness  in  missionary  work. 
. . . And  finally,  the  blessed  Gospel  will  be  every- 

where preached  by  the  missionaries;  and  I hope  some 
day  we  shall  owe  to  their  labours  and  their  prayers  a 
great  army  of  Christian  apostles  among  our  people  who 
will  eventually  regenerate  the  whole  Hindu  nation 
through  their  lives  and  their  teachings.” 

In  the  same  interview,  with  a variety  of  illustrations, 
Ramabai  enforced  her  belief  that  the  work  she  desired 
to  do  would  prepare  the  way  of  missionaries  by  enabling 
widows  to  rise  to  an  independent  position  in  which  they 
would  be  free  to  accept  Christianity  as  she  herself  had 
done.  “ Christ,”  argued  Ramabai,  “ came  to  give  dif- 
ferent gifts  to  different  people — some  He  made  proph- 
ets ; some  He  made  preachers ; some  He  made  teachers. 
Since  I have  become  a Christian  I have  thought  He  has 
given  me  the  gift  of  being  a sweeper.  I want  to  sweep 
away  some  of  the  old  difficulties  that  lie  before  the  mis- 
sionaries in  their  efforts  to  reach  our  Hindu  widows.” 
Ramabai  further  declared  her  belief  that  having  the 
widows  brought  under  the  influence  of  her  school,  with 
the  Bible  placed  in  the  hands  of  every  pupil,  Christian 


44 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


women  as  teachers,  and  Christian  literature  in  its 
library,  many  would  be  won  to  see  the  beauty  of  Chris- 
tianity, and  embrace  it  for  themselves. 

Thus  it  came  to  pass  that  the  platform  of  her  work 
was  declared  to  be  neutral  as  to  its  religious  teaching. 
Her  Hindu  pupils  were  to  have  full  liberty  to  retain 
their  caste,  and  perform  their  religious  observances. 

In  due  time  the  “ Ramabai  Association  ” was  com- 
plete. Its  headquarters  were  in  Boston ; its  base, 
“ Ramabai  Circles,”  in  towns  and  cities  all  over  the 
country.  Members  of  circles  pledged  themselves  to 
give  or  collect  a certain  sum  annually  for  ten  years,  to 
equip  and  sustain  a home  and  school  in  India  for  the 
education  and  support  of  high-caste  Hindu  widows. 

In  May,  1888,  Ramabai  bade  good-bye  to  her  Boston 
friends  and  went  on  to  Canada,  and  thence  to  the  Pacific 
Coast,  gaining  friends  and  forming  circles  all  the  way. 
In  November  of  the  same  year  she  left  America  for  India 
via  San  Francisco  and  Hong  Kong,  and  thus  got  a 
glimpse  of  China  on  the  way.  She  arrived  in  Bombay 
on  February  ist,  1889,  and  chose  that  city  in  which  to 
commence  her  work.  Six  weeks  later  the  Widow’s 
Home  was  quietly  inaugurated  in  a house  just  back  of 
the  Chowpatty  Sea-face.  The  modest  announcement 
of  “ Sharada  Sadan  ” (Abode  of  Wisdom)  was  placed 
on  a board  on  its  frontage.  School  commenced  with 
two  pupils,  and  the  alphabet  in  three  languages. 


SOONDERBAI  PoWAR 


DREAMS  BECOME  REALITY 


45 


Marathi,  English,  and  Sanskrit.  One  of  the  pupils 
had  thrice  attempted  suicide,  restrained  only  by  the  fear 
of  being  again  born  a woman.  She  is  now  the  educat- 
ed wife  of  a professor  in  Poona  College,  and  a happy 
mother. 

The  Hindu  reform  circles  in  Bombay  and  Poona  gave 
Ramabai  a welcome;  her  assurances  of  neutrality  as  to 
religion  were  generally,  though  cautiously,  accepted; 
and,  in  a short  time,  more  pupils  of  the  desired  class 
were  obtained.  Ramabai  went  in  and  out  among  the 
Hindus,  and  had  frequent  opportunities  of  lecturing  as 
of  yore,  when  she  always  commanded  a large  audience. 

Miss  Soonderbai  H.  Powar,  at  that  time  engaged  in 
work  among  women  in  connection  with  one  of  the  Bom- 
bay Missions,  first  brought  me  news  of  Ramabai  and 
her  work.  She  had  visited  Ramabai  and  been  intro- 
duced to  the  pupils  in  residence.  Her  calling  as  a 
teacher  of  the  Bible  had  been  explained  to  them,  and 
an  opportunity  to  give  a talk  on  the  Bible  and  Christian- 
ity was  afforded  her.  Ramabai’s  little  daughter, 
Manorama,  then  about  nine  years  old,  had  won  Soon- 
derbai’s  heart,  by  insisting  that  she  was  a Christian, 
and  that  the  Bible  was  her  Shastra. 

In  the  course  of  a year  or  so,  Ramabai  moved  the 
Sharada  Sadan  to  Poona,  as  being  a more  healthy  place, 
cheaper,  and  more  suitable  in  every  way  for  the  work 
than  Bombay.  In  1892,  through  the  continued  gener- 


46 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


osity  of  her  American  friends,  she  was  enabled  to  pur- 
chase a commodious  bungalow  in  a fine  position  in 
Poona,  standing  in  about  two  acres  of  ground,  which 
made  an  admirable  home  for  the  Sharada  Sadan. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


A VISIT  TO  THE  “ SHARADA  SADAN,”  AND  A GLIMPSE  AT 
SOME  OF  ITS  PUPILS. 

“ Wisdom  hath  builded  her  house,  she  hath  hewn  out  her  seven 
pillars.” — Prov.  ix.  i. 

The  house  that  Ramabai  secured  for  the  perma- 
nent location  of  the  Sharada  Sadan  in  Poona 
stands  well  back  from  the  road ; but  to  make 
the  position  still  more  secluded,  Ramabai  lined  the  walls 
that  divided  it  from  the  road  with  a screen  of  trellis- 
work.  This,  covered  with  creeping  vines  and  backed 
by  flowering  shrubs,  added  to  the  bowery  appearance  of 
the  garden.  The  garden,  occupying  nearly  half  the 
compound,  was  dotted  here  and  there  with  fine  shade 
trees,  the ’gold  mohur,  the  plumeria,  and  others,  which 
are  covered  with  gorgeous  flowers  in  their  season. 
Roses  and  lilies,  jasmine  and  elemanta,  variegated  cro- 
tons, caladiums,  bouganvillia,  and  the  hundred  and  one 
tropical  shrubs  that  are  cherished  greenhouse  plants  in 
our  colder  atmosphere,  luxuriate  in  the  beautiful  climate 
of  the  deccan  of  India.  Nowhere  are  they  seen  to  more 

47 


48 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


perfection  than  at  Poona;  and  Ramabai’s  garden  has 
always  abounded  with  them.  A shaded  fernery,  plant- 
ed around  a fountain  close  to  the  house,  affords  a cool 
retreat  for  the  heat  of  the  day.  Ramabai,  as  a child  of  the 
forest,  was  ever  an  enthusiastic  lover  of  flowers,  and 
longed  for  her  pupils  to  take  delight  in  them  also. 

The  house  had  its  outer  and  inner  apartments,  like 
all  houses  built  for  Hindu  family  use.  To  these  Rama- 
bai added  two  long  dormitories,  built  one  above  the 
other.  The  upper  was  reached  by  a stone  staircase 
outside,  a further  flight  of  stairs  leading  to  an  enclosure 
on  the  roof,  from  which  to  study  the  stars. 

“ This  is  not  an  institution  in  which  all  the  best  rooms 
are  reserved  for  the  teaching  staff,”  remarked  Ramabai, 
to  a party  of  visitors  she  was  showing  over  the  build- 
ing on  the  occasion  of  its  opening  ceremonies  in  July, 
1892.  “ My  pupils,”  she  continued,  “ are  as  free  to 

come  and  go  in  the  drawing-room  as  in  any  other  part 
of  the  house.  The  Sadan  with  all  its  privileges  has 
been  instituted  for  their  benefit.  They  come  from 
homes  where  they  have  been  treated  as  outcasts,  where 
no  love  has  been  bestowed  upon  them,  and  no  comforts 
provided  for  them.  I wish  them  to  see  the  contrast 
in  all  things  where  love  rules.  I wish  them  to  become 
acquainted  with  as  many  good  people  as  possible;  to 
learn  what  the  outside  world  is  like  from  pictures  and 
books;  and  to  enjoy  the  wonderful  works  of  God,  as 


View  of  Sharada  Sadan,  Poona 


VISIT  TO  THE  “ SHARADA  SADAN  ” 


49 


they  ramble  in  the  garden,  study  with  the  microscope, 
or  view  the  heavens  from  the  little  verandah  on  the 
roof.” 

The  Pandita’s  aims,  as  thus  set  forth  by  herself, 
represented  truly  the  atmosphere  of  the  Sharada  Sadan 
as  I found  it  on  my  first  visit  at  that  time.  The  pupils 
came  and  went  everywhere,  learned  their  lessons  in 
groups  in  the  drawing-room,  or  walked  in  the  garden 
by  twos  and  threes,  gathered  roses  and  lilies  for  each 
other  and  the  visitors,  made  wreaths  of  jasmine  and 
decked  each  other’s  hair. 

“ Bai,”  the  usual  Hindu  title  for  the  mistress  of  the 
house,  was  Ramabai’s  home  appellation ; while  that  of 
Miss  Soonderbai  Powar  was  “ Ukka  ” (elder  sister). 
A few  months  previously  Miss  Powar  had  taken  up  her 
abode  with  Ramabai  as  companion  and  friend;  and  as 
loving  elder  sister  to  the  pupils  her  influence  has  been 
blessed  in  a marked  degree.  Out  of  school  hours  the 
girls  followed  Ramabai  about  and  clustered  around  her 
like  bees;  while  Soonderbai’s  little  room  was  usually 
crowded  with  pupils  coming  and  going,  sure  of  a hear- 
ing and  help  in  any  difficult  phase  of  work  or  lessons. 

The  “ good-night  ” scene,  repeated  with  variations 
on  all  my  visits  to  the  Sadan  during  the  subsequent 
seven  years,  was  one  to  be  enjoyed  and  remembered. 
When  the  retiring  bell  rang,  wherever  “ Bai  ” and 
“ Ukka  ” were  to  be  found,  there  the  girls  and  women 


5° 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


flocked  in.  Every  one  must  have  a good-night  kiss — 
from  the  Brahmin  woman  of  forty,  who  did  the  cook- 
ing, to  the  youngest  child-widow.  Some  of  them  were 
not  satisfied  with  one  embrace,  but  would  slyly  come 
up  a’  second  time  out  of  their  turn,  till  the  fun  would  get 
a little  too  riotous,  and  a summary  dismissal  was  neces- 
sary. 

There  were  then  about  forty  widows  in  residence, 
ranging  in  age  from  little  girls  of  seven  to  the  afore- 
said Brahmin  cook  of  forty.  But  the  majority  were 
from  fifteen  to  twenty-five.  IMost  of  the  older  women 
had  their  heads  shaved,  and  wore  their  sarees  drawn 
close  around  their  faces  to  hide  this  disfigurement  im- 
posed upon  them  by  cruel  custom. 

At  this  time  of  the  opening  ceremony  in  1892,  the 
schoolrooms  were  in  the  inner  apartments,  the  veran- 
dahs being  used  as  class-rooms.  This  was  but  a tem- 
porary arrangement,  for  the  foundations  were  already 
in  for  a fine  school-room  in  the  compound  opposite  the 
entrance  to  the  original  building.  This  was  completed 
and  used  a twelvemonth  later.  The  other  rooms  were 
then  utilized  as  dormitories  for  an  increased  number  of 
pupils. 

The  opening  ceremonies  were  in  two  sections.  In 
the  morning  a company  of  missionaries  and  Christian 
friends  of  various  denominations  assembled  in  the  draw- 
ing-room for  a dedication  service.  Ramabai  said  she 


VISIT  TO  THE  “ SHARADA  SAD  AN  ” 


51 

desired  a public  thanksgiving  to  God  for  all  the  way  He 
had  led  her,  and  for  the  provision  of  this  beautiful 
building  which  had  been  given  them  by  Christians  in 
America.  The  speaking  and  prayers,  in  which  many 
present  took  vocal  part,  were  in  line  with  this  thought. 
One  of  the  speakers  closed  his  remarks  with  a Scrip- 
tural quotation  which  may  now  be  looked  back  upon  in 
the  light  of  a prophecy.  Turning  to  Ramabai  he  said: 
“ My  sister,  ‘ The  Lord  shall  increase  you  more  and 
more,  you  and  your  children.’  ^ ” 

In  the  evening  the  schoolroom  was  gaily  decorated 
and  filled  with  a s>Tupathising  company  of  Ramabai’s 
Hindu  friends,  relatives  of  the  pupils,  and  a few  Euro- 
peans. Addresses  in  Marathi  were  given  by  Ramabai 
and  others.  The  pupils  sang  a number  of  Marathi 
songs,  one  of  which,  describing  the  woes  of  the  widow, 
was  very  touching.  An  American  White  Ribbon  song 
was  nicely  rendered  by  a few  of  the  girls;  and  four  of 
them  gave,  with  marvellous  correctness,  an  English  dia- 
logue, representing  a scene  in  the  life  of  Peter  the  Great. 
Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  their  education  had  made  con- 
siderable advance  since  the  alphabet  commencement  be- 
fore-mentioned. 

It  was  my  privilege  at  this  time  to  spend  several  days 
at  the  Sadan.  The  loving  spirit  that  prevailed,  and  the 
all-prevading  energy  of  the  bright  little  woman  at  the 
* Psalm  cxv.  14. 


52 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


head  of  the  house,  were  two  features  of  the  work  that 
remained  with  me.  There  was  never  any  trace  of  Ori- 
ental languor  about  Ramabai ; whatever  she  did  she  did 
with  her  might.  Whether  hearing  the  pupils  recite 
their  IMarathi  lessons,  directing  the  mails  in  the  garden, 
overseeing  the  workmen  on  the  new  building,  or  ex- 
plaining the  operations  of  the  institution  to  a party  of 
visitors — she  was  all  life  and  energy,  the  centre  and 
circumference  of  all  that  was  going  on. 

I was  particularly  attracted  by  a happy  group  of 
child-widows,  some  half-dozen  or  more,  about  ten  or 
twelve  years  of  age.  Such  bright  little  girls ! It  was 
difficult  to  believe  that  they  rested  under  the  cruel  ban  of 
widowhood ! But  even  their  games  echoed  the  circum- 
stances of  their  lives.  One  of  these,  in  which  there  was 
an  amount  of  screaming  and  running  away,  was  ex- 
plained to  me.  It  was  the  new  child-wife  being  tutored 
by  her  mother-in-law  in  domestic  affairs,  and,  persist- 
ently misunderstanding  her  commands  and  bringing 
her  the  wrong  articles,  was  being,  in  consequence, 
chased  and  punished ! 

Somewhere  about  this  time  one  who  heard  it  took 
down  a conversation  between  some  of  these  little  girls, 
in  which  occurred  the  following  passages,  illustrating 
the  condition  of  girl-children  who,  not  knowing  what 
marriage  means,  are  yet  widows : — 

ViTTO ; “ I was  a mere  baby  when  I was  married. 


VISIT  TO  THE  “ SHARADA  SADAN  ” 


53 


We  do  not  look  like  wives,  do  we?  Yet  people  call  me 
a ‘ widow,’  ‘ unlucky,’  and  say  I have  killed  my  hus- 
band.” 

Chanda  : “ I also  am  a widow,  because  my  parents 
say  so;  but  what  is  the  meaning  of  it  I do  not  under- 
stand. They  say  I shall  have  to  suffer  much  as  I grow, 
older.  No  one  will  love  me  because  I killed  and  swal- 
lowed my  husband;  but  I never  saw  him.  I do  not 
know  who  he  was.  Since  I am  come  to  this  school 
all  the  teachers  love  me ; they  try  to  make  me  happy,  and 
they  never  say  unkind  words  to  me  or  think  I am  un- 
lucky.” 

SuNDRi : “ Prya,  let  us  hear  your  history,  and  I will 
tell  mine.” 

Prya  : “ My  father  knew  I would  be  a widow,  but 

he  purposely  gave  me  in  marriage.” 

All  the  Girls  ; “ Prya,  Prya,  do  not  say  so ! 

How  could  he  know  what  would  be  in  the  future  ? ” 

ViTTo : “ Well,  sometimes  parents  do  it  for  money. 

Do  you  know  of  one  girl  who  was  here  in  the  school, 
and  was  obliged  by  her  ignorant  people  to  leave?  The 
poor  thing  was  married  when  she  was  five  years  old. 
She  was  given  to  a man  of  fifty  for  a hundred  rupees. 
Within  a year  the  miserable  man  died,  leaving  behind 
him  a widow  six  years  old ! Don’t  you  think  her  par- 
ents must  have  had  sense  enough  to  know  that  such  a 
small  child  given  to  an  old  man  would  become  a widow  ? 


54 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


But  they  want  money,  or  do  it  when  they  are  tired  of 
their  daughter.” 

The  other  girls  chimed  in  with  reminiscences  of  the 
cruel  treatment  meted  out  to  this  hapless  widow  of  six 
years  by  her  husband’s  relatives. 

Then  Prya  said:  “ You  will  get  thousands  of  cases 

like  that.  My  mother  died  when  I was  nine  months 
old.  When  I was  two  years  and  six  months  my  father 
wanted  me  to  be  married.  He  gave  me  in  marriage  to 
a little  boy,  who  died  six  months  afterwards,  when  I 
was  three.  My  mother’s  friend  took  care  of  me  till  I 
was  six ; then  my  father  brought  me  to  Bombay.  I 
lived  with  him  four  years,  cooked  for  myself,  and  was 
very  unhappy.  My  father  was  a strict  Hindu,  and  did 
not  love  me  because  I was  a widow.  My  mother’s 
uncle  put  me  in  this  school.  My  father  did  not  like  it, 
and  came  to  Poona  to  fetch  me  out,  but  was  taken  ill. 
I went  to  see  him.  He  said  he  wanted  to  see  my  head 
shaved  and  disfigured.  But  he  died  soon,  and  I was 
free.” 

The  poor  little  mites  concluded  their  conversation  by 
unanimously  refusing  to  consider  themselves  widows; 
and  rejoicing  in  the  freedom  and  happiness  found  at 
the  Sharada  Sadan,  they  ran  away  to  play. 

Soon  after  Ramabai  settled  her  Sharada  Sadan  at 
Poona,  she  paid  a visit  to  the  ancestral  home  of  her 
family  in  the  Mangalore  district,  where  she  was  well  re- 


Two  Pupils  and  Their  Hindu  Mother 


VISIT  TO  THE  “ SHARADA  SADAN  " 


55 


ceived  by  her  relatives.  On  her  return  to  Poona 
several  young  widows  from  the  extensive  Brahmin 
community  of  the  former  place  accompanied  her,  and 
became  her  pupils.  The  case  of  one  poor  ill-used  girl- 
widow  at  this  place  had  especially  attracted  Ramabai’s 
attention,  and  she  much  desired  to  rescue  her.  This 
girl  was  used  most  cruelly  by  her  relatives.  She  was 
beaten  for  the  slightest  fault.  She  was  also  punished 
by  being  suspended  from  the  rafters  of  the  roof  by  her 
wrists,  while  a heap  of  prickly  pear-bush  was  placed 
underneath  to  receive  her  if  she  should  succeed  in  free- 
ing herself.  Another  punishment  was  to  shut  her  in 
a cook-house  with  burning  chillies  (red  peppers)  on  the 
fire;  this  produces  a most  irritating  smoke,  and,  often 
repeated,  injures  the  eyesight. 

This  poor  girl  was  a most  unhappy  creature,  fearful 
and  suspicious  of  everybody.  Ramabai  tried  in  vain  to 
gain  her  confidence,  and  her  relatives  treated  with  con- 
tempt the  idea  of  giving  her  an  education.  Ramabai’s 
diplomacy  then  led  her  to  try  another  plan.  She  invited 
the  mother-in-law  and  one  other  female  member  of  the 
family  to  pay  her  a visit  with  this  girl.  They  came, 
and  were  courteously  established  on  the  compound,  and 
a cookhouse  appropriated  to  their  use,  their  caste  prin- 
ciples making  separate  cooking  needful.  Ramabai  en- 
tertains like  a princess,  and  the  visitors  felt  themselves 
highly  honoured.  Some  weeks  passed  away,  during 


56 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


which  time  Ramabai  did  all  she  could  to  gain  the  con- 
fidence of  the  unhappy  girl,  who,  however,  did  not  ap- 
pear to  be  much  more  cheerful  in  spite  of  her  change  of 
surroundings,  and  the  apparent  change  in  the  way  she 
was  treated.  When  she  did  at  last  open  her  heart  to 
Ramabai,  it  was  found  that  the  course  of  ill-treatment 
had  really  never  ceased;  that  these  women  had  con- 
trived to  beat  the  girl  daily  since  their  arrival  at  the 
Sharada  Sadan,  and  to  frequently  lock  her  in  the  cook- 
house and  leave  her  there  for  hours.  As  soon  as 
Ramabai  felt  convinced  that  the  victim  trusted  her,  and 
would  stand  by  her  intention  to  remain,  she  told  the 
other  women  that  they  might  leave — a perfectly  polite 
intimation  according  to  Hindu  custom.  There  was 
some  trouble  when  they  found  the  young  widow  deter- 
mined to  remain ; but  as  she  was  over  the  age  at  which 
they  could  legally  have  forced  her  to  return,  they  had 
to  submit  with  the  best  grace  they  could,  especially 
when  they  found  Ramabai  took  her  part.  This  young 
woman  has  long  been  a professing  Christian,  and  a use- 
ful helper  in  the  Sharada  Sadan ; but  I always  think  her 
face  bears  traces  of  those  years  of  systematic  ill-usage. 
Probably  the  reader  will  be  able  to  identify  the  heroine 
of  this  story  in  the  picture  of  “ Six  Pupils  of  the  Shara- 
da Sadan  who  have  become  Christians.” 


CHAPTER  V. 


SOME  OF  RAMABaPs  PUPILS  BECOME  CHRISTIANS;  OP- 
POSITION AND  PERSECUTION. 

“ Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteous- 
ness, for  they  shall  be  filled.” — Matt.  v.  6. 

IT  is  altogether  too  bad  that  I should  have  all'  the 
blame  on  earth,  and  Ramabai  all  the  reward  in 
heaven,”  piquantly  remarked  Soonderbai  Powar, 
■when  relating  some  stirring  events  that  occurred  at  the 
Sharada  Sadan  in  the  early  months  of  1893. 

“ The  people  are  saying  it  is  all  because  I am  living 
with  Ramabai  that  the  girls  are  becoming  Christians, 
and  that  I am  the  cause  of  all  the  trouble;  but  I have 
been  away  in  England  for  several  months,  and  on  my 
return  find  all  the  girls  attending  Ramabai’s  prayer- 
meetings.  How  could  it  be  my  fault  ? ” 

Nevertheless,  it  was  apparent  that  Soonderbai  was  re- 
joiced at  these  developments,  and  not  so  very  much  in- 
wardly disturbed  at  the  blame  meted  out  to  her  by  the 
offended  Brahmin  community. 

Since  leaving  America  to  begin  her  life-work  in  In- 
dia, spiritual  enlargement  had  come  to  Ramabai.  From 
time  to  time,  in  the  early  part  of  the  past  decade,  India 

57 


58 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


was  visited  by  earnest  Christian  evangelists  from  Brit- 
ain and  America.  Such  men  as  Dr.  Pentecost,  Henry 
Varley,  John  McNeill,  and  a host  of  others  not  so  well 
known,  have  gone  on  what  are  called  “ cold- weather 
tours,”  visiting  the  large  cities,  and  addressing  Euro- 
pean audiences,  and  also  natives  through  an  interpreter. 
Each  of  these  seemed  to  have  some  special  message,  and 
most  were  greatly  helpful  in  re-emphasizing  the  foun- 
dation truths  of  the  Christian  faith,  leading  many  out 
into  a truer  and  deeper  Christian  experience. 

Ramabai  always  eagerly  embraced  these  opportun- 
ities, and,  as  she  learned  new  lessons,  incorporated  them 
into  her  life  and  practice.  In  all  these  various  minis- 
tries that  helped  her,  it  is  but  fair  to  say  that  Ramabai 
studied  her  Bible  and  made  sure  there  was  a “ Thus 
saith  the  Lord  ” for  all  that  she  accepted.  It  was  her 
practice  then,  and  still  is,  to  devote  the  early  morning 
hour,  from  five  to  six  a.  m.,  to  the  study  of  God’s  Word 
and  prayer.  In  those  days  she  was  usually  joined  by 
Soonderbai,  her  own  little  daughter,  Manorama,  and 
that  section  of  her  pupils  whom  she  called  her  own 
family. 

In  the  prosecution  of  her  work,  Ramabai  was  contin- 
ually meeting  with  high-caste  girls  who  were  not  wid- 
ows, but  who  were  in  circumstances  of  destitution  and 
moral  danger.  Ramabai’s  American  supporters  gave 
her  a generous  personal  allowance,  very  little  of  which 


OPPOSITION  AND  PERSECUTION 


59 


sufficed  for  her  own  simple  needs.  She  employed  the 
surplus  in  caring  for  a number  of  these  poor  girls,  who, 
not  being  widows,  but  either  deserted  wives  or  destitute 
orphans,  were  not  eligible  for  support  from  the  funds 
of  the  Sadan.  Some  of  these  were  maintained  in  Mis- 
sion Schools  at  Ramabai’s  expense,  and  she  received 
some  as  members  of  her  own  family.  A few  she  adopt- 
ed entirely,  they  having  no  natural  guardians  to  whom 
they  owed  any  sort  of  allegiance. 

Ramabai  felt  it  was  her  duty  to  instruct  these  girls 
in  the  principles  of  the  Christian  religion.  They  were 
therefore  aroused  an  hour  before  the  other  inmates  of 
the  Shadan  to  join  in  the  early  morning  Scripture  study 
and  prayer.  Neither  was  the  door  closed  against  any 
others  who  might  be  drawn  to  come  and  listen  from 
motives  of  curiosity,  or  from  a genuine  desire  to  learn 
what  it  was  in  Ramabai’s  religion  which  made  her  so 
different  from  any  one  they  had  ever  known  before. 
And  they  did  so,  till,  at  the  time  of  Soonderbai’s  return 
to  India  in  the  spring  of  1893,  fully  half  of  the  widows 
were  attending  these  early  morning  meetings,  and  the 
Spirit  of  God  was  evidently  applying  the  teaching 
powerfully  to  many  hearts. 

At  this  time  there  were  two  other  resident  teachers 
in  the  school,  who,  though  professing  Christians, 
neither  showed  any  sympathy  with  the  movement  nor 
attended  the  prayer-meetings. 


6o 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


As  in  a thrifty  English  household  fruits  are  preserved 
and  pickles  made  for  winter  use^  so  a good  Brahmin 
housewife  has  her  season  for  drying  and  preparing  a 
store  of  various  fruits  and  herbs  for  use  during  the 
rainy  season.  Their  season  comes  in  the  month  of 
May,  while  ours  is  an  autumn  function.  At  this  time, 
the  middle  of  the  hot  weather,  school  holidays  were 
given  in  Poona;  Ramabai’s  store  room  was  likewise  re- 
plenished— and  a vacation  from  school  work  meant  the 
employment  of  the  girls  in  all  the  mysteries  of  preserv- 
ing, pickling,  and  preparing  tamarinds,  limes,  mangoes, 
chillies,  and  the  various  spices  used  in  the  complicated 
culinary  art  as  understood  in  well-managed  Brahmin 
households.  But  it  was  not  all  work ; now  and  then 
some  delightful  excursion  was  arranged,  looked  for- 
ward to,  and  much  enjoyed. 

It  was  the  time  of  an  Indian  festival  in  the  middle 
of  these  holidays,  and  on  the  eve  of  the  principal  day  of 
the  feast  Ramabai  told  her  pupils  that  she  had  ordered 
conveyances  for  the  morrow  to  take  them  to  a beautiful 
spot,  a few  miles  away,  for  a picnic.  They  would  go  in 
charge  of  the  aforementioned  teachers,  and  she  trusted 
they  would  have  a very  happy  time.  To  the  eager  in- 
quiries as  to  why  Bai  and  Ukka  were  not  going,  she 
replied  that  they  had  need  of  a day  alone  with  God; 
adding  that  if  any  of  the  girls  wished  to  stay  and  join 
them,  they  were  at  liberty  to  do  so.  Out  of  a total  of 


OPPOSITION  AND  PERSECUTION 


6i 


sixty  or  sixty-five,  about  thirty  elected  to  forego  the 
picnic  and  remain  for  a day  of  prayer.  The  whole  day 
was  spent  in  devotion,  the  study  of  the  Scriptures, 
prayer,  and  exhortation.  Before  it  was  ended,  more 
than  twenty  declared  themselves  to  be  inquirers  after 
the  truth,  and  some  seemed  to  have  really  received  it 
into  their  hearts  with  joy  and  gladness. 

Ramabai  and  Soonderbai  were  filled  with  joy.  A 
small  Christian  Endeavour  Society  was  formed,  of- 
ficers appointed,  and  a little  upstairs  room  set  apart  for 
a prayer  room. 

But  “ a city  set  on  a hill  cannot  be  hid,”  and  it  was 
soon  noised  abroad  that  Ramabai  was  making  all  the 
girls  Christians.  Then  arose  a storm. 

From  time  to  time  Ramabai  had  encountered  difficul- 
ties from  her  Brahmin  friends.  In  Bombay  a “ Man- 
aging Committee  ” had  been  appointed,  who  aimed  to 
make  the  Sadan  a strictly  Hindu  home,  and  imposed 
full  observance  of  caste  restrictions,  the  effect  of  which 
was  to  shut  Ramabai  and  other  Christian  teachers  out 
from  certain  parts  of  the  dwelling.  No  pupil  was  free 
to  attend  any  sort  of  Christian  service,  but  any  might 
worship  at  Hindu  temples.  This  being  decidedly 
against  the  strict  neutrality  enjoined  by  the  American 
Committee,  an  appeal  was  made,  and  Ramabai  was  in- 
structed to  resume  tbe  management  herself. 

In  an  interview  published  in  a Madras  paper  concern- 


6z 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


ing  the  conversions  just  named,  Ramabai  said: 
“ When  we  came  to  Poona,  an  Advisory  Board  was  ap- 
pointed to  advise  me  with  regard  to  outside  matters — 
purchase  of  land,  building,  etc.  They  had  nothing 
practically  to  do  with  the  internal  management  of  the 
Sadan.  This  Board  consisted  of  three  well-known 
Hindu  gentlemen.  We  went  on  satisfactorily  for  some 
time,  but  when  the  number  of  girls  attending  my  private 
prayers  rose  to  about  twenty,  the  matter  was  reported 
to  them.  We  did  nothing  in  secret.  My  room  was  al- 
ways open.  They  asked  me  whether  some  of  the  girls 
attended  my  private  prayers.  I replied  that  they  did. 
Then  they  asked  me  to  prevent  them  from  doing  so. 
I told  them  I could  not  conscientiously  do  that — I could 
not  restrict  my  intercourse  with  the  pupils.  As  a Chris- 
tian was  at  the  head  of  the  institution,  the  girls  must  be 
more  or  less  under  Christian  influences.  The  members 
of  the  Advisory  Board  therefore  tendered  their  resigna- 
tion, and  issued  a circular-letter  to  the  parents  and 
guardians  of  the  scholars,  asking  them  not  to  send  their 
girls  to  the  Sadan.” 

About  twenty-five  of  the  girls  were  thus  withdrawn. 
Many  affecting  scenes  occurred.  Some  parents  yielded 
to  the  entreaties  of  their  daughters,  and  allowed  them 
to  remain,  with  the  strict  promise  not  to  attend  the 
prayer  meetings  in  future.  Some  poor  girls  were  car- 
ried off  to  certain  persecution  and  ill-usage.  In  one 


The  Gujerathi  Lassie 


OPPOSITION  AND  PERSECUTION 


63 


or  two  cases  where  Ramabai  knew  they  would  be  taken 
av/ay  to  inevitable  moral  ruin,  she  resorted  to  various 
justifiable  expedients  to  save  them. 

The  escape  of  one  girl,  in  which  my  household  had 
some  share,  was  in  some  of  its  features  as  sensational 
as  that  of  many  an  old-time  negro  slave.  The  escape 
was  from  as  real  a slaver}^  Only  part  can  be  told  here. 
This  lassie  was  one  whom  Ramabai  had  adopted  as  her 
own.  Her  mother,  a Gujerathi  widow,  was  living  the 
life  of  a temple  woman  in  Bombay  (a  “ holy  ” Hindu 
harlot).  A prominent  Hindu  reformer  in  Bombay,  edi- 
tor of  a newspaper,  sent  the  girl  to  Ramabai  to  save 
her  from  her  mother’s  fate.  But  when  he  heard  that 
the  girls  were  becoming  Christians,  he  joined  in  the 
popular  outcry,  and  incited  the  mother,  vile  as  she  was, 
to  claim  her  daughter.  He  was  only  one  of  many  who 
plainly  showed  that  they  would  rather  see  Hindu  girls 
become  harlots  than  Christians. 

A chronic  complaint,  at  that  time  troublesome,  was 
a reason  for  sending  the  girl  to  a hospital  in  Bombay. 
This  would  gain  time.  A message  was  sent  also  to  me 
asking  me  to  visit  her,  and  if  possible  devise  some  way 
of  saving  her  from  her  threatened  fate.  Owing  to  the 
riots  then  raging  in  Bombay  between  Hindus  and  Mo- 
hammedans, it  was  some  days  before  I could  get  to  see 
her.  Mrs.  Man  Sukh  Lai,  then  living  in  our  house, 
accompanied  me,  and  visited  her  frequently  afterwards. 


64 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


To  her  the  girl  opened  her  heart.  She  wanted  to  be 
sent  away  where  her  mother  could  not  get  at  her  to 
ruin  her.  She  dreaded  the  day  of  her  discharge.  Fre- 
quently the  mother  and  some  priests  were  found  there 
at  the  visiting  hour.  They  brought  her  the  Hindu 
Shastras  and  wanted  to  take  her  Bible  away  from  her. 
Day  by  day  the  hospital  was  watched  at  the  hour  of  dis- 
charging patients.  But,  by  the  kindness  of  the  matron, 
we  were  permitted  to  remove  her  at  a different  hour, 
and  at  once  sent  her  out  of  the  city  to  the  care  of  a 
missionary  friend ; Ramabai  being  purposely  kept  in 
ignorance  of  her  whereabouts.  But  the  mother  con- 
tinued to  trouble  Ramabai,  claiming  now  that  her 
daughter  was  two  years  younger  than  she  herself  had 
stated  when  first  given  to  Ramabai,  while  the  latter 
believed  her  to  be  of  legal  age  to  decide  for  herself. 

Renewed  torrents  of  abuse  were  poured  out  upon 
Ramabai  by  the  entire  native  press.  She  was  then 
consecrated  up  to  the  point  of  not  caring  for  her  own 
reputation — but  her  school  must  not  be  ruined.  She 
came  to  me  and  said  the  school  would  be  ruined  if  the 
girl  were  not  given  up.  I declined  to  have  any  hand  in 
producing  the  girl,  but  at  Ramabai’s  entreaty  gave  her 
the  name  of  the  missionary  friends  who  had  taken  charge 
of  her.  They  finally  arranged  to  bring  her  to  the  head 
police  office  in  Bombay  and  let  the  matter  be  decided 
there.  The  girl  was  brought,  but  the  mother  did  not 


OPPOSITION  AND  PERSECUTION 


65 


keep  the  appointment.  The  Christian  Police  Superin- 
tendent declined  to  give  her  to  the  Hindus  who  came 
to  represent  the  mother,  and  she  was  again  removed 
by  my  friends.  A subsequent  attempt  to  gain  posses- 
sion of  her  was  at  once  abandoned  when  it  became 
known  that  the  missionary  in  whose  house  she  had  been 
staying  had  baptised  her ! The  deed  was  done,  she  was 
now  a Christian,  and  was  at  once  relinquished  to  her 
fate  by  her  mother  and  the  priests.  Ramabai’s  perfidy 
was  again  published  to  the  world,  although  the  baptism, 
administered  at  the  girl’s  own  ardent  desire,  took  place 
entirely  without  Ramabai’s  knowledge  or  consent. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  MARBLE  HALLS  OF  HINDUISM. 

“Her  princes  within  her  are  roaring  lions;  her  judges  are 
evening  wolves.” — Zeph.  iii.  3 

The  storm  raised  over  the  baptism  of  the  young 
woman  mentioned  in  the  last  chapter  was 
fiercer  even  than  that  of  the  previous  three 
months.  It  threatened  to  annihilate  the  institution; 
more  pupils  were  removed,  and  the  leading  Hindus  of 
the  Bombay  presidency  seemed  to  be  determined  that 
they  would  never  rest  until  they  saw  the  Sharada 
Sadan  die  an  ignoble  death.  But  God  gave  Rama- 
bai  three  promises  at  that  time  of  great  trouble.  They 
were  as  follows : 

“ No  weapon  that  is  formed  against  thee  shall  pros- 
per; and  every  tongue  that  shall  rise  against  thee  in 
judgment  thou  shalt  condemn.”  ^ 

“ These  things  have  I spoken  unto  you,  that  in  Me 
ye  might  have  peace.  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribu- 
lation : but  be  of  good  cheer ; I have  overcome  the 
world.”  * 

' Isaiah  liv.  17.  *John  xvi.  33. 

66 


MARBLE  HALLS  OF  HINDUISM  67 

“ Bring  ye  all  the  tithes  into  the  storehouse  . . . and 
prove  Me  now  herewith,  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts,  if  I 
will  not  open  you  the  windows  of  heaven,  and  pour  you 
out  a blessing,  that  there  shall  not  be  room  enough  to 
receive  it.”* 

These  promises  were  a great  source  of  comfort  and 
strength  to  Ramabai,  and  have  been  marvellously  ful- 
filled, as  will  be  seen  later  on. 

In  a report  made  subsequently  to  her  American 
friends,  Ramabai  thus  succinctly  explained  her  policy. 
Reminding  them  that  she  had  all  along  insisted  that  the 
institution  should  be  unsectarian,  she  said : “ We  give 

them  (the  pupils)  all  liberty  to  keep  their  caste  and  cus- 
toms, and  we  have  made  all  arrangements  for  it.  They 
are  not  prevented  from  praying  to  their  own  gods,  nor 
from  wearing  those  gods  around  their  necks,  if  they 
want  to ; and  some  girls  in  my  school  do  so,  as  I used  to 
do  years  ago.  Do  you  think  I have  gone  against  the 
religion  of  the  girls?  No,  not  in  any  way.  I have  not 
taught  the  girls  any  religious  system.  If  they  wanted 
any  religious  training,  they  might  go  out  of  the  school 
to  the  missionary,  or  to  the  Hindu  teacher.  But  I am 
glad  to  say  that  some  light  came  to  them — not  from 
ourselves,  but  from  God. 

“ I was  a Christian  woman,  and  I had  a home  of  my 
own,  and  a daughter  for  whom  I thought  I must  make 
> Malachi  iii.  10. 


68 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


a home.  I had  made  the  resolution  of  Joshua,  ‘ As  for 
me  and  my  house,  we  will  serve  the  Lord.’  That  shall 
be  my  resolution  to  the  end.  I let  my  girls  do  what 
they  like ; but  I have  the  freedom  with  which  Christ  has 
made  me  free : and  why  should  I keep  my  light  under  a 
bushel?  I do  not  mean  to  do  it.  When  I had  my 
family  worship  in  my  own  room,  not  in  the  school-hall, 
some  of  the  girls  began  to  come  in;  and  we  gave  them 
freedom  to  come,  if  they  wanted  to. 

“ My  Hindu  brethren  thought  it  was  going  too  far, 
and  that  I was  Christianizing  those  girls.  They  wanted 
me  to  shut  my  room  when  I was  reading  the  Bible  and 
praying.  I said,  ‘No;  I have  the  same  freedom  to 
practice  Christianity  which  these  girls  have  to  practice 
their  religion.  Why  should  I shut  the  door  of  my 
room,  which  I do  not  shut  at  any  other  time  during  the 
twenty-four  hours  of  the  day  ? ’ The  Hindu  friends 
were  much  offended  at  it,  and  wanted  to  pull  our  school 
down,  and  raise  another  school  on  its  ruins;  but  I am 
glad  to  say  that  the  foundations  of  this  school  have  not 
been  set  on  the  sand,  but  on  the  eternal  Rock,  and  it 
stands  there  to  this  day,  and  it  will  stand  for  ever  and 
ever.” 

In  the  cold  season  following  the  events  narrated,  Mrs. 
Judith  Andrews,  President  of  the  Executive  Committee 
of  the  American  Ramabai  Association,  visited  India. 
She  spent  several  weeks  at  the  Sharada  Sadan,  and  fa- 


MARBLE  HALLS  OF  HINDUISM  69 

miliarized  herself  with  the  work  and  workers.  The 
pupils,  taught  by  Ramabai  to  be  courteously  attentive 
to  all  guests,  were  charmed  with  the  gentle  white-haired 
old  lady,  and  bestowed  upon  her  the  endearing  ap- 
pellation of  Ahjibai  (grandmother). 

During  the  visit  of  Mrs.  Andrews,  the  school-house 
alluded  to  in  Chapter  IV.  was  publicly  dedicated, 
though  it  had  been  in  use  for  some  time.  The  meet- 
ings on  that  festive  day,  March  12th,  1894,  partook  of 
the  same  character  as  those  of  the  dedication  of  the 
previous  buildings.  Much  sympathy  was  expressed  by 
the  speakers  for  Ramabai  in  the  severe  trials  through 
which  she  had  passed,  and  the  hope  was  voiced  that  she 
would  not  be  again  burdened  with  another  “ Advisory 
Committee.”  And  she  never  has.  Some  Hindu  gen- 
tlemen present  also  expressed  their  repentant  sympathy, 
and  an  account  of  the  meeting,  written  at  the  time, 
says,  “ God  has  greatly  helped  Ramabai  and  sustained 
her  work.  Her  prospects  are  brighter  now  than  they 
have  ever  been  before.” 

No  trip  to  India  is  considered  complete  without  a 
sight  of  some  of  her  ancient  palaces,  temples,  and 
tombs.  As  the  most  noted  of  these  are  in  North  India, 
Mrs.  Andrews  desired  to  take  the  usual  trip  to  Agra, 
Delhi,  etc.,  and  prevailed  upon  Ramabai  to  accompany 
her.  She  could  not  have  had  a better  guide.  Ramabai 
had  been  there  before;  and  under  her  auspices  Mrs. 


70 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


Andrews  saw  sights  that  other  travellers  miss — sights 
calculated  to  give  a more  just  idea  of  the  lives  really  led 
by  those  who  once  peopled  these  ruined  marble  halls. 
In  the  grounds  of  what  is  now  called  the  Agra  Fort 
are  some  ruined  palaces  of  the  Moghul  emperors. 
Ramabai  must  tell  the  story  herself  and  draw  the  moral 
as  she  alone  knows  how : “ The  guide  showed  us  the 

Rani’s  private  rooms,  the  gardens  and  grand  marble 
buildings,  once  occupied  by  the  kings  and  queens.  He 
also  showed  us  the  beautiful  pleasure  tower  called 
Saman  Burj.  Visitors  are  shown  all  that  is  beautiful 
here,  and  they  go  away  carrying  very  pleasant  impres- 
sions of  Agra  with  them. 

“ I was  not  satisfied  with  seeing  the  outside  beauty 
of  those.  ‘ poems  in  marble,’  but  wished  to  see  the  dun- 
geons, and  the  place  where  the  unfortunate  women 
used  to  be  confined  and  hanged  at  the  pleasure  of  the 
king.  The  guide  at  first  denied  the  existence  of  such 
places  in  the  palace ; but,  finally — on  obtaining  a prom- 
ise to  get  a little  more  money  for  his  trouble — he  con- 
sented to  show  the  dungeons.  He  opened  a trap-door 
on  one  side  of  the  palace,  let  us  in,  and  guided  us  about, 
showing  us  the  many  small  and  large  underground 
rooms  where  the  queens  who  had  incurred  the  king’s 
displeasure  used  to  be  shut  up,  tortured,  and  starved, 
until  it  pleased  the  monarch  to  set  them  free.  The 
guide  then  lighted  a big  torch,  and  took  us  to  the 


MARBLE  HALLS  OF  HINDUISM 


71 


furthest  end  of  the  prison,  into  a room  underneath  the 
Saman  Burj,  or  Jasmine  Tower.  The  room  was  very 
dark  and  octagonal,  with  a deep,  dark  pit  in  the  centre, 
and  a big  beam  placed  on  the  walls  right  over  that  pit. 
This  beam,  beautifully  carved,  served  for  hanging  the 
unfortunate  women  who  once  occupied  the  throne  of  the 
king  as  his  queens,  but  had  by  some  unknown  cause 
fallen  under  his  displeasure,  and  had  to  suffer  such  a 
cruel  and  ignoble  death.  Their  lifeless  bodies  were  let 
down  into  that  dark  pit,  whence  a stream  carried  them 
to  the  waters  of  the  Jumna,  to  be  eaten  by  crocodiles. 
Thus  the  poor,  miserable  wives  of  the  Moghul  empe- 
rors suffered  toture  and  death  in  that  dark  hell-pit  under 
the  pleasure-gallery,  while  their  cruel  masters  and  rivals 
sang  songs,  enjoyed  life,  and  made  merry  over  their 
grave  in  the  beautifully  decorated,  grand,  Saman  Burj. 
I think  but  little  of  those  lovely  places,  but  always  re- 
member seeing  that  dark  room,  and  compare  it  with 
similar  places  of  torture  which  exist  in  many  sacred 
towers  of  India.  If  the  walls  of  that  horrible  room  had 
the  power  of  speech,  oh,  what  stories  of  human  cruelty 
and  misery  would  they  tell  to-day ! 

“ I beg  of  my  Western  sisters  not  to  be  satisfied  with 
looking  on  the  outside  beauty  of  the  grand  philosophies, 
and  not  to  be  charmed  with  hearing  the  long  and  in- 
teresting discourses  of  our  educated  men ; but  to  open 
the  trap-doors  of  the  great  monuments  of  ancient  Hin- 


72 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


du  intellect,  and  enter  into  the  dark  cellars,  where  they 
will  see  the  real  workings  of  the  philosophies  which 
they  admire  so  much.  Let  our  Western  friends  come 
to  India,  and  live  right  among  us.  Let  them  frequently 
go  to  the  hundreds  of  sacred  places  where  countless 
pilgrims  throng  yearly.  Let  them  go  round  Jagannath 
Puri,  Benares,  Gaya,  Allahabad,  Muttra,  Brindraban, 
Dwarka,  Pandharpur,  Udipi,  Tirpatty,  and  such  other 
sacred  cities,  the  strongholds  of  Hinduism  and  seats 
of  sacred  learning,  where  the  Mahatmas  and  Sadhus 
dwell,  and  where  the  ‘ sublime  ’ philosophies  are  daily 
taught  and  devoutly  followed.  There  are  thousands 
of  priests  and  men  learned  in  sacred  lore,  who  are  the 
spiritual  rulers  and  guides  of  our  people.  They  neglect 
and  oppress  the  widows,  and  devour  widows’  houses. 
I have  gone  to  many  of  the  so-called  sacred  places,  lived 
among  the  people,  and  seen  enough  of  those  learned 
philosophers  and  possessors  of  superior  Hindu  spirit- 
uality who  oppress  the  widows,  and  trample  the  poor, 
ignorant,  low-caste  people  under  their  heels.  They 
have  deprived  the  widows  of  their  birthright  to  enjoy 
pure  life  and  lawful  happiness.  They  send  out  hun- 
dreds of  emissaries  to  look  for  young  widows,  and  bring 
them  by  hundreds  and  thousands  to  the  sacred  cities  to 
rob  them  of  their  money  and  their  virtue.  They  entice 
the  poor,  ignorant  women  to  leave  their  own  homes  to 
live  in  the  Kshetras,  i.  e.,  holy  places,  and  then,  after 


MARBLE  HALLS  OF  HINDUISM 


73 


robbing  them  of  their  belongings,  tempt  them  to  yield  to 
their  unholy  desires.  They  shut  the  young  helpless 
widows  into  their  large  Mathas  (monasteries),  sell  and 
hire  them  out  to  wicked  men  so  long  as  they  can  get 
money ; and,  when  the  poor,  miserable  slaves  are  no 
longer  pleasing  to  their  cruel  masters,  they  turn  them 
out  in  the  street  to  beg  their  livelihood,  to  suffer  the 
horrible  consequences  of  sin,  to  carry  the  burden  of 
shame,  and  finally  to  die  the  death  worse  than  that  of  a 
starved  street  dog!  The  so-called  sacred  places — those 
veritable  hells  on  earth — have  become  the  graveyards  of 
countless  widows  and  orphans. 

“ Thousands  upon  thousands  of  young  widows  and 
innocent  children  are  suffering  untold  misery  and  dying 
helpless  every  year  throughout  this  land ; but  not  a 
philosopher  or  Mahatma  has  come  out  boldly  to  cham- 
pion their  cause  and  to  help  them.  The  teachers  of 
false  philosophies  and  lifeless  spiritualities  will  do  no 
good  to  our  people.  Nothing  has  been  done  by  them 
to  protect  the  fatherless  and  judge  the  widow.  If  any- 
thing has  been  done  by  anybody  at  all,  it  has  been  by 
those  people  who  have  come  under  the  direct  influence 
of  Christianity.  Education  and  philosophies  are 
powerless  before  the  caste  rules,  ancient  customs,  and 
priestcraft.  That  is  why  our  educated  men  and  our 
learned  Sadhus  are  so  indifferent  toward  their  own 
brothers  and  sisters.  The  educated  men  and  learned 


74 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


priests  do  not  like  to  move  about.  They  don’t  want  to 
take  the  trouble  to  go  about  to  see  how  dreadfully  the 
widows  have  to  suffer,  and  how  many  thousands  of  lives 
are  destroyed  by  their  priestly  brethren.  They  mourn 
over  a few  women  who  have  the  boldness  to  declare 
themselves  as  free  women,  and  to  follow  their  con- 
science ; but  they  say  nothing  of  the  thousands  who 
die  every  year  or  lead  shameful  lives.  I earnestly  beg 
the  women  of  America  and  England  to  come  to  India 
and  live  in  our  sacred  cities,  not  living  in  European 
and  American  fashion,  but  living  like  the  poor  beggar- 
women,  going  in  and  out  of  their  dirty  huts,  hearing 
the  stories  of  their  miserable  lives,  and  seeing  the  fruits 
of  the  sublime  philosophies.  Let  not  my  Western  sis- 
ters be  charmed  by  the  books  and  poems  they  read. 
There  are  many  hard  and  bitter  facts  which  we  have  to 
accept  and  feel.  All  is  not  poetry  with  us.  The  prose 
we  have  to  read  in  our  own  lives  is  very  hard.  It  can- 
not be  understood  by  our  learned  brothers  and  com- 
fortable sisters  of  the  West.” 

The  iniquitous  traffic  in  widows  alluded  to  here 
by  Ramabai  opens  the  door  to  a subject  in  connection 
with  Hinduism,  the  knowledge  of  which  has  been  a sore 
burden  on  Ramabai’s  heart,  and  has  forced  from  her 
many  tears  and  groans  on  behalf  of  its  victims.  Some 
twelve  months  or  more  after  this  visit  with  Mrs.  An- 
drews, Ramabai  set  off  on  a visit  to  Brindaban,  a sacred 


Ramabai  Disguised  as  a Mahar 


MARBLE  HALLS  OF  HINDUISM 


75 


city  about  forty  miles  from  Agra,  to  see  what  she  could 
do  to  rescue  some  of  the  miserable  victims  of  priest- 
craft. She  disguised  herself  as  a poor  pilgrim  and  took 
a mean  lodging  in  the  city,  going  in  and  out  among  the 
women,  heard  their  stories  of  cruel  wrong,  and  tried  to 
plan  some  way  of  escape  for  them.  She  found  an  or- 
ganized method  of  entrapping  them.  The  agents  of 
the  rich  priests  who  own  this  city  of  sacred  temples,  go 
about  the  country  and  by  inquiry  find  where  the  rich 
young  widows  live.  They  enter  into  conversation  with 
them,  and  persuade  them  of  the  merits  of  pilgrimage  to 
expiate  the  sins  which  have  caused  their  widowhood. 
They  tell  them  they  will  go  direct  to  heaven  if  they  will 
live  at  these  sacred  places  and  serve  the  priests  and 
Sadhus  and  worship  Krishna.  They  are  courteously 
received  on  arrival,  then  subtle  temptations  are  laid  to 
deprive  them  of  their  money  and  jewels,  and  when  these 
are  gone  their  virtue  follows.  Brindaban  is  largely  de- 
voted to  the  deity  Krishna,  whose  vile  and  immoral 
character  is  rejoiced  in  by  his  followers.  If  these  poor 
women  are  unwilling  to  live  immoral  lives,  they  are  told 
that  it  is  no  sin  to  do  so  in  these  sacred  precincts,  which 
are  specially  favoured  by  Krishna.  Ramabai  found 
hundreds  of  widows  here,  mostly  from  Bengal.  She 
planned  for  the  escape  of  six  or  seven  of  these  women ; 
but  her  plans  were  frustrated,  and  she  returned  sick 
with  the  mental  depression,  the  moral  debasement,  and 


76 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


the  actually  foetid  conditions  of  life  which  she  under- 
went in  her  efforts  to  save  some  of  these  perishing  ones. 

The  dark  features  of  Hinduism  thus  portrayed,  not 
only  infest  the  “ sacred  ” cities,  but  spread  like  a miasma 
into  every  region  of  Hindu  life.  Ramabai  computes 
that  ten  per  cent,  of  the  women  and  girls  who  have  come 
into  her  hands  during  the  twelve  years  of  her  experience 
have  been  sinned  against  by  heartless  men. 

In  her  efforts  to  help  widows,  Ramabai  has  been  fre- 
quently asked  to  shelter  deserted  wives.  Childless 
women  are  constantly  being  driven  from  their  husbands’ 
homes  by  a more  favoured  rival.  Many  of  these  have 
come  into  Ramabai’s  hands,  and  in  some  cases  she  has 
been  successful  in  obtaining  for  them  a divorce.  Per- 
secuted wives,  too,  have  fled  to  her  for  help  and  shelter. 
Some  of  these  have  needed  protection  from  husbands 
who  were  “ going  about  to  kill  them  ” ; and  I have 
known  Ramabai  have  two  or  three  such  in  hiding  at  one 
time  from  the  rage  of  those  who  should  be  their  natural 
protectors. 


CHAPTER  VIL 


PLANS  FOR  THE  FUTURE;  RAMABApS  SPIRITUAL  EX- 
PERIENCES. 

“ She  considereth  a field  and  buyeth  it : with  the  fruit  of  her 
hands  she  planteth  a vineyard.” — Proverbs  xxxi.  i6. 

WHEN  Pandita  Ramabai  arranged  with  her 
friends  in  America  to  support  the  Sharada 
Sadan  for  ten  years,  she  confidently  expected 
that  at  the  end  of  that  time  the  Hindus  would  have  be- 
come so  convinced  of  the  benefits  of  education  for 
women  that  they  would  willingly  pay  for  it.  But,  as 
the  years  went  on,  it  was  evident  that  this  prospect  be- 
came no  nearer  realization.  Ramabai ’s  mind  became 
exercised  about  the  future  support  of  the  school — how 
could  it  be  brought  about?  After  considerable  thought 
and  prayer,  she  conceived  the  plan  of  purchasing  a 
piece  of  land  in  the  country,  and  planting  it  with  fruit 
trees,  the  produce  of  which  should  yield  a fair  income 
in  the  course  of  a few  years. 

Acting  upon  the  principle  that  “ If  two  of  you  shall 
agree  on  earth  as  touching  anything  that  they  shall  ask, 

77 


78 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


it  shall  be  done  for  them  of  My  Father  which  is  in 
heaven,”  Ramabai  and  Soonderbai  joined  in  prayer  that 
if  the  thought  was  of  the  Lord,  He  would  send  the 
money  to  purchase  such  a fruit-farm.  They  then  be- 
gan to  look  out  for  answers.  Ramabai  mentioned  the 
plan  to  several  of  her  friends  both  in  India  and  in 
America.  Money  given  to  be  used  at  her  discretion 
was  placed  to  this  fund;  it  gradually  grew.  In  1894, 
two  years  after  they  had  began  to  pray,  the  money  was 
in  hand,  and  the  purchase  of  the  farm  an  accomplished 
fact. 

A suitable  piece  of  ground  was  found  to  be  for  sale 
at  Khedgaon,  close  to  a railway-station  on  the  recently- 
opened  Southern  Marathi  Railway,  about  forty  miles 
south  of  Poona.  Ramabai  planted  a portion  of  the 
land  with  hundreds  of  young  orange,  lime,  and  mango 
trees.  A fine  well  was  dug,  and  a vegetable  garden 
made,  which  in  a few  months  supplied  most  of  the 
vegetables  used  by  the  school.  The  remainder  of  the 
hundred  acres  were,  by  degrees,  cleared  of  the  jungle- 
wood,  by  which  they  were  covered,  and  planted  with 
various  useful  crops;  leaving  only  one  very  rocky  por- 
tion, of  which  the  Government  took  a part  in  making  a 
new  road. 

There  was  a charm  about  life  at  the  Sharada  Sadan 
that  always  captivated  me.  I learned  more  about  the 
ways  and  thoughts  of  genuine  Indian  life  by  a few  days 


Ramabai  and  a Missionary  Friend 


PLANS  FOR  THE  FUTURE 


79 


with  Ramabai  than  in  months  and  years  of  ordinary 
European  experience  in  Bombay. 

When  therefore  Ramabai  asked  me  to  spend  the  New 
Year  holidays  of  1895  with  her,  I was  very  glad  to  be 
free  to  accept  the  invitation.  The  Sharada  Sadan  was 
“ Liberty  Hall  ” for  guests.  They  could  either  have 
their  meals  sent  to  their  rooms,  or  join  the  family.  I 
usually  prefered  the  latter.  When  breakfast  or  dinner 
was  ready,  Ramabai  herself  would  come  to  escort  me  to 
the  refectory.  This  was  a long,  shed-like  building, 
with  a verandah  in  front,  on  which  we  left  our  shoes. 
There  was  no  furniture,  save  a row  of  stools  along  each 
wall.  I call  them  stools  for  want  of  a better  name; 
they  were  simply  boards  about  one  foot  by  two  feet, 
raised  about  two  inches  from  the  ground.  These  were 
the  seats.  I was  placed  next  to  the  hostess,  who  com- 
menced by  pouring  water  over  her  hands  and  mine. 
She  then  inspected  the  brass  vessels  which  were  placed 
in  front  of  us,  and  usually  rinsed  out  the  shining  brass 
plates. 

Then  the  girls  who  had  been  cooking  came  in  and 
deposited  quickly  a small  mound  of  rice  on  each  plate ; 
another  followed  with  a pot  of  ghee  (clarified  butter) 
and  poured  a little  on  the  rice;  another  served  us  with 
two  kinds  of  curry,  made  of  lentils  or  peas,  in  small 
brass  basins.  Others  followed  with  hot  chappatties 
(unleavened  bread),  then  vegetables  of  several  kinds. 


8o 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


all  cut  small  and  fried  with  herbs  and  pepper.  In  ad- 
dition to  this,  the  ordinary  fare,  Ramabai  always  served 
her  guests  with  fruit,  cake,  and  milk.  I enjoyed  the 
food,  and  succeeded  fairly  well  in  my  endeavour  to  eat 
it  in  the  same  fashion  as  my  Indian  sisters,  without  the 
aid  of  fork,  knife,  or  spoon. 

On  the  visit  of  wdiich  I am  writing,  I spent  several 
pleasant  days,  the  last  being  New  Year’s  Day.  All  the 
Christian  girls  who  understood  English  attended  the 
Watch-night  Service  with  Soonderbai  and  Manorama, 
while  Ramabai  conducted  a service  of  her  own  at  home 
in  Marathi  for  the  other  Christian  girls.  All  were  up 
bright  and  early  on  New  Year’s  morning  in  anticipation 
of  a happy  day.  Ramabai  informed  me  that  we  were 
invited  to  breakfast  with  one  of  the  Christian  teachers 
of  the  Sadan  who  lived  with  her  family  in  the  city,  but 
that  she  was  going  on  a round  of  New  Year  visits  first 
and  I could  accompany  her. 

The  dumnie,  a heavy  covered  wagon,  drawn  by  two 
fine  white  bulls,  came  round  about  8 a.  m.,  and  we  start- 
ed off.  Manorama  and  some  others  of  the  children 
were  included  in  the  party  of  six.  In  the  front  of  the 
wagon  and  beneath  the  seats  were  piled  huge  baskets  of 
sweetmeats,  from  which  I partly  guessed  the  nature 
of  the  visits  we  were  about  to  pay.  We  first  alighted  at 
the  Anglo-Indian  Children’s  Home,  a work  of  faith, 
founded  by  the  late  Miss  Dawlly,  which  cares  for  desti- 


Missionary  and  Bibi.u  Women 


PLANS  FOR  THE  FUTURE 


8i 


tute  children  of  European  and  Eurasian  parentage.  As 
we  waited  the  appearance  of  Mrs.  Hutchings,  the  devot- 
ed successor  of  Miss  Dawlly,  I related  to  Ramabai  the 
peculiar  history  of  one  of  the  children  in  that  institu- 
tion. “ I wish  to  support  a child  here,”  said  Ramabai ; 
“ I will  support  that  very  girl.”  And  from  that  day 
that  dear  child  has  found  a kind  friend  in  Ramabai. 
Her  holidays  are  spent  with  Ramabai ; and  when  I last 
met  her  she  was  looking  forward  to  taking  up  some  post 
of  usefulness  in  connection  with  the  work  in  years  to 
come. 

One  basket  of  sweetmeats  was  left  here,  and  I fancied 
also  a more  substantial  gift,  by  the  happy  and  grateful- 
looking  faces  we  left  behind  us.  The  Government  poor- 
house  was  our  next  destination.  This  covered  a con- 
siderable extent  of  ground,  and  here  we  saw  maimed, 
halt,  blind,  and  lepers.  Ramabai  went  through  all  the 
compounds,  and  herself  gave  a large  ball  of  sweetmeat 
to  each  inmate,  while  the  respectful  salutation  of  “ Sa- 
laan^  Bai,”  sounded  gratefully  on  all  hands.  Indian 
sweetmeats  are  a food  as  well  as  a luxury — this  was  a 
peculiarly  nourishing  kind,  made  of  lentils,  butter,  and 
sugar. 

“ Poor  things,  they  have  no  pleasures,”  said  Ramabai. 

Our  next  visit  was  to  the  lunatic  asylum.  The  dis- 
tribution here  was  assisted  by  two  of  the  keepers.  We 
saw  sad  sights  here  indeed,  and  some  that  were  com- 


82 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


ical.  One  man,  a Mahommedan,  looked  very  fiercely 
at  me,  and  ordered  me  (in  Hindustani)  to  go  back  to 
my  country,  saying  that  I had  only  come  there  be- 
cause I could  not  get  enough  to  eat  in  my  own  land. 

Gratitude  there  was  none.  The  poor  creatures 
snatched  the  sweetmeat  and  cried  out  for  more.  Ram- 
abai  persevered  in  overseeing  the  distribution.  She 
dared  not  leave  it  to  the  officers  of  the  place,  lest  any 
should  lose  their  share.  On  leaving,  she  remarked  to 
me  that  it  was  evident  that  a large  proportion  were 
there  through  opium  and  ganga  (hemp-drug) — their 
appearance  showed  this. 

The  breakfast  prepared  for  us  at  the  teacher’s  house 
was  very  elaborate.  Plaintain  leaves  were  spread  for 
plates.  A merry  party  of  about  twenty  sat  down  to 
eat  the  repast,  which  was  strictly  vegetarian.  One  very 
delicious  dish  so  closely  resembled  custard  that  one 
could  scarcely  believe  it  was  made  without  eggs ; but 
I was  assured  it  was  a combination  of  rice  and  cocoa- 
nut. 

The  great  event  of  the  day  was  to  be  a Brahmin 
dinner  given  by  an  aunt  of  Ramabai’s,  a Hindu,  who 
was  visiting  her.  The  old  lady  took  great  pleasure 
and  pride  in  cooking  this  dinner  and  serving  it  up, 
though  she  would  by  no  means  have  defiled  her  caste 
by  sitting  down  with  us — Christian  outcasts — to  eat 
it.  Two  missionary  families  and  several  Indian  Chris- 


PLANS  FOR  THE  FUTURE 


83 


tians  joined  the  dinner  party.  The  festivities  ended 
with  a surprise  party  of  Soonderbai’s  planning,  held  in 
the  large  schoolroom.  A monster  bran  tub  furnished 
presents  for  pupils,  teachers,  and  visitors.  The  little 
ones  had  toys  and  picture  books ; the  pupils  had  each 
the  material  for  a choli  (a  short  bodice  that  they  all 
wear)  with  knitting-needles,  crochet-hooks,  wool,  etc., 
etc.  The  party  dispersed  after  a happy  day,  and 
Ramabai  and  myself  took  the  night  train  to  Bombay. 

The  battle  had  been  decided  as  to  whether  Hinduism 
or  Christianity  should  have  the  ascendancy  in  the  Shar- 
ada  Sadan.  As  Ramabai’s  Christian  life  strengthened 
and  deepened,  she  became  more  independent  of  even 
the  opinions  of  her  quondam  Brahmin  friends.  At  the 
same  time,  she  kept  strictly  to  her  covenant  of  giving 
an  entirely  unsectarian  education,  with  freedom  to  her 
pupils  to  observe  all  their  Hindu  customs.  The  Brah- 
min community  gradually  came  to  the  conclusion  to  let 
Ramabai  alone.  They  accepted  the  fact  among  them- 
selves that  she  had  gone  irrevocably  from  them;  and 
that  all  the  benefits  of  her  work  which  they  had  looked 
upon  to  shed  lustre  on  their  ancient  religion  were  quite 
lost  to  them.  A rival  institution,  or  what  was  intended 
to  be  a rival  institution,  to  the  Sharada  Sadan,  was 
started  as  a boarding  establishment  in  connection  with 
the  Poona  Girl’s  High  School;  but  though  it  existed 
for  a few  years,  it  never  flourished  greatly.  Some  of 


84 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


the  girls  who  had  been  removed  from  the  Sadan  were 
placed  in  this  institution,  but  more  than  one  finally  re- 
turned to  Ramabai. 

As  time  went  on,  the  light  of  Christianity  shone  more 
and  more  brightly  in  the  Sharada  Sadan.  The  Christian 
Endeavour  Meetings  prospered.  Morning  and  evening 
prayers  were  held  in  a larger  room,  and  attended  by 
the  majority  of  the  pupils.  Ramabai’s  little  daughter, 
Manorama,  whose  heart  had  been  early  opened  to  di- 
vine influences,  took  a leading  share  in  carrying  on  the 
work  among  the  girls.  Those  who  were  interested  in 
Christianity,  and  not  forbidden  by  their  guardians,  at- 
tended Church  and  Sunday-school  outside,  as  well  as 
the  ministrations  of  a Poona  missionary,  who  held 
meetings  in  the  prayer-room  once  a week. 

The  natural  outcome  of  all  this  teaching  was  the 
creation  among  those  girls  who  had  received  Christ 
of  a desire  for  baptism.  They  wanted  to  become  Chris- 
tians in  fact  and  deed,  as  well  as  in  heart.  Ramabai, 
however,  was  in  favour  of  their  remaining  unbaptized 
— at  least,  while  pupils  in  the  Sharada  Sadan.  The 
school,  she  affirmed,  was  not  for  Christian  girls,  but 
for  Hindus ; and,  consequently,  she  could  not  encourage 
the  proposed  baptisms.  Several  of  the  girls,  however, 
made  their  own  arrangements  with  the  missionary 
whose  classes  they  attended,  and  were  baptized  in  the 
Methodist  Church  at  Poona.  Ramabai  let  things  take 


PLANS  FOR  THE  FUTURE 


85 


their  course;  but,  after  the  baptisms,  she  told  these 
girls  that  she  could  no  longer  accept  them  as  pupils  of 
the  Sharada  Sadan.  As  they  all  declared  their  readi- 
ness to  work  for  their  living,  work  was  found  for  them. 
One  or  two  became  teachers  in  other  schools;  some 
were  employed  as  teachers  in  the  primary  department 
of  the  Sadan;  and  others,  unfit  for  teaching,  accepted 
posts  as  servants  of  the  establishment,  cheerfully  under- 
taking menial  work  as  unto  the  Lord.  Thus  the  diffi- 
culty was  bridged  over,  and  time  was  allowed  for  con- 
tinuing their  studies  in  part  to  those  who  wished  it. 

Among  the  pupils  thus  baptized  was  one  particularly 
nice  and  good  girl,  whose  early  history  illustrates  the 
condition  and  hardship  of  the  little  widow  more  than 
many. 

This  poor  little  child,  married  at  the  age  of  five  to  a 
man  forty  years  her  senior,  became  a widow  at  six. 
She  was  left  in  charge  of  her  husband’s  brother,  a Brah- 
min innkeeper  in  a country  district,  a day’s  journey  by 
rail  from  Poona.  As  the  child  grew  up,  she  became 
a regular  little  slave,  beaten  and  half-starved.  She  was 
employed  constantly  in  going  backwards  and  forwards 
to  a well  a quarter  of  a mile  away  to  fetch  water,  which 
she  carried  on  her  hips  and  her  head  in  great  copper 
vessels.  She  was  very  miserable  and  her  treatment  was 
no  secret  to  the  people  around. 

One  day  Ramabai  received  a letter  informing  her  of 


86 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


this  poor  child’s  forlorn  condition,  and  of  the  location  of 
the  well  where  she  might  so  often  be  found.  One  of 
Ramabai’s  helpers  visited  the  place  in  disguise,  gained 
the  confidence  of  the  child,  and  arranged  to  take  her 
away  by  the  night  train.  The  girl  was  then  about 
eleven  years  old,  and  with  her  shaven  head  was  easily 
disguised  as  a Mahomedan  boy.  Before  the  train  start- 
ed she  was  missed,  and  her  people  were  in  pursuit  of 
her.  They  were  at  the  station,  but  failed  to  recognise 
her;  and  she  escaped.  She  bloomed  out  into  a most 
lovable  and  estimable  girl,  and  was  married  in  1897  to 
a fine  Christian  young  man. 

In  a little  tract  published  in  Bombay,  in  1895,  Rama- 
bai  told  the  story  of  her  own  spiritual  experiences. 
She  said : “ When  I turned  my  attention  to  searching 

for  the  truth  in  the  Hindu  and  Christian  religions,  and 
comparing  them  with  each  other,  I found  Christ'anity 
to  be  the  better  of  the  two,  and  accepted  it.  I was  duly 
baptized  in  the  Church  of  England.  I believed  the 
Apostles’  Creed,  and  all  the  essential  doctrines  of  Chris- 
tianity. ]\Iy  mind  was  at  rest;  and  I trusted  in  God, 
believed  on  Christ,  and  prayed  in  His  name.  I did  not 
adhere  to  any  special  sect,  nor  do  I now.  It  was 
enough  for  me  to  be  called  a Christian,  on  the  ground 
of  my  belief  in  Christ  as  the  Saviour  of  mankind.  I 
used  to  pray  in  a general  way,  and  had  never  known 
that  my  special  need  was — ‘ Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus 


PLANS  FOR  THE  FUTURE 


87 


Christ,  and  thou  shalt  be  saved.’  Salvation,  I thought, 
was  something  to  be  good  in  the  future.  That  is  how 
the  future  tense  in  the  above  text  is  abused  by  the  con- 
verts, especially  the  intellectual  converts  of  the  present 
day  in  this  country.  I had  many  doubts  and  many  dif- 
ficulties in  the  matter  of  belief.  So  many  sects,  so 
many  opinions,  so  much  want  of  spirituality  and  much 
shallow  talk  in  the  name  of  religion.  All  these  troubled 
me  very  much,  and  I began  to  see  much  the  same  in 
the  picture  of  Christianity  as  I have  been  accustomed  to 
see  in  that  of  the  Hindu  religion.  But  all  this  time  I 
was  conscious  that  God  was  leading  me;  and  I deter- 
mined not  to  take  the  opinion  of  men  as  my  ground  of 
belief,  and  went  on  reading  the  Bible  only  and  trusted  in 
God’s  mercy. 

“ Some  years  ago  I was  brought  to  the  conviction 
that  mine  was  only  an  intellectual  belief — a belief  in 
zt'hich  there  zuas  no  life.  It  looked  for  salvation  in  the 
future  after  death ; and  consequently  my  soul  had  not 
‘ passed  from  death  unto  life.’  God  showed  me  how 
very  dangerous  my  position  was,  and  what  a wretched 
and  lost  sinner  I was ; and  how  necessary  it  was  for  me 
to  obtain  salvation  in  the  present,  and  not  in  some  fu- 
ture time.  I repented  long;  I became  very  restless  and 
almost  ill,  and  passed  many  sleepless  nights.  The 
Holy  Spirit  so  got  hold  of  me  that  I could  not  rest  until 
I found  salvation  then  and  there.  So  I prayed  earnest- 


88 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


ly  to  God  to  pardon  my  sins  for  the  sake  of  Jesus  Christ, 
and  let  me  realize  that  I had  really  got  salvation  through 
Him.  I believed  God’s  promise,  and  took  Him  at  His 
word ; and  when  I had  done  this,  my  burden  rolled 
away,  and  I realized  that  I was  forgiven  and  was  freed 
from  the  power  of  sin.  ‘ The  Spirit  itself  beareth  wit- 
ness with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children  of  God.’  ^ 
I became  very  happy  after  that.  There  was  not  a 
shadow  of  doubt  as  to  my  having  obtained  salvation 
through  Jesus  Christ.  ‘ But  as  many  as  received  Him 
[a  person,  not  a thing ; not  a religion,  but  a living  per- 
son], to  them  gave  He  power  to  become  the  sons  of 
God.’  * ‘ And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they  might  knoiv 

Thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  Thou 
hast  sent.’  ® In  the  Old  Testament  God  is  not  revealed 
as  Father,  but  as  the  Creator,  the  klighty  God,  the 
Judge,  the  Jehovah.  It  was  left  to  Jesus  in  the  New 
Testament  to  reveal  the  Father.  IMen  talk  about  God, 
but  they  cannot  know  Him  except  the  Son  reveal  Him.* 
These  things  are  hid  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  but 
God  has  revealed  them  unto  babes.®  That  is  why  He 
says,  ‘ Except  ye  be  converted,  and  become  as  little  chil- 
dren, ye  shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven.’  * 
‘ He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  hath  everlasting  life.’  ’’ 
I knew  I had  everlasting  life,  i.  e.,  knew  God ; and 

‘Rom.  viii.  i6.  ‘John  i.  12.  ‘John  xvii.  3.  ‘Matt.  xi. 
27.  ‘ Matt.  xi.  25.  ' Matt,  xviii.  3.  ‘ John  iii.  36. 


Taka  as  Found  by  the  Well  Taka  and  Hkk  Chkistian  Husband 


. PLANS  FOR  THE  FUTURE  89 

the  Spirit  was  sent  into  my  heart,  crying  ’ Abba, 
Father.” 

“ Last  year  I happened  to  read  the  Life  of  Amanda 
Smith.  She  had  been  a slave  in  America,  and  had  been 
freed.  When  she  was  converted,  she  shouted  and  said 
she  had  been  delivered  out  of  bondage  twice — once  out 
of  slavery,  and  once  from  the  slavery  of  sin.  And  I 
have  a right  to  praise  God  too ; for  I have  been  first  de- 
livered from  the  slavery  of  man’s  opinions,  from  the 
fear  of  man  which  holds  so  many  of  my  dear  people,  and 
a second  time  from  the  bondage  of  sin.  As  I read 
further  in  this  book,  where  she  gives  an  account  of  her 
spiritual  experience,  I felt  my  need  of  the  abiding  pres- 
ence of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  me. 

“ I prayed  earnestly  to  God  to  show  me  the  way,  and 
to  remove  all  the  hindrances  that  came  in  the  way  of 
my  receiving  this  great  blessing.  I read  in  the  papers 
that  Mr.  Gelson  Gregson  was  to  hold  some  special  mis- 
sion services  in  Bombay.  I longed  to  go,  but  could 
not  easily  leave  my  school  and  be  away  from  Poona. 
I did  not  know  anything  about  Mr.  Gregson,  but  the 
desire  to  hear  him  preach  became  very  strong.  I left 
the  matter  in  God’s  hands,  and  rested  quietly.  One 
morning  I received  an  urgent  letter  from  a girl  whose 
mother  was  supposed  to  be  in  a dying  condition,  and 
who  wanted  very  much  to  see  me.  The  girl  urged  up- 
*Rom.  viii.  15. 


90 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


on  me  very  much  to  start  at  once  and  come  to  Bombay. 
I did  so,  recognising  in  this  call  the  special  providence 
of  God  which  was  taking  me  to  Bombay  in  answer  to 
my  prayer. 

“ I heard  Mr.  Gregson  preach  his  first  sermon  from 
the  text,  ‘ I am  crucified  with  Christ  ’ ^ ; which  im- 
pressed me  very  much.  I stayed  three  days,  and  at- 
tended the  services.  The  subject  was  exactly  what  I 
wanted  and  needed  to  know.  In  April  at  the  Lanouli 
camp  meeting  I heard  Mr.  Gregson  preach  again.  He 
preached  as  one  who  had  received  and  was  filled  with 
the  Holy  Spirit  and  knew  the  deep  things  of  God.  I 
then  opened  my  heart  to  a friend,  and  told  her  of  my 
intense  desire  for  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Spirit;  and  we 
together  sought  a conversation  with  Mr.  Gregson.  I 
asked  him  many  questions,  which  he  satisfactorily  an- 
swered in  the  words  of  Scripture.  We  prayed  then 
that  I might  receive  the  Holy  Spirit;  but  it  was  not 
until  the  evening  of  that  day  that  I felt  conscious  of 
His  presence  in  me.  Since  then  I have  received  much 
blessing,  and  am  ever  grateful  to  God  for  showing  me 
the  way  of  this  blessed  life.” 

• Gal.  ii.  20. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


ASKING  GREAT  THINGS  OF  GOD. 

“ Open  thy  mouth  wide  and  I will  fill  it.” — Psalm  Ixxxi.  lo, 

The  camp-meeting  is  a feature  of  American 
Christian  life,  which  transplants  to  India  re- 
markably well.  Near  the  summit  of  the  West- 
ern Ghauts,  eighty  miles  from  Bombay,  nestling  in  the 
bosom  of  the  mountains,  are  the  Lanouli  woods,  an 
ideal  spot  for  such  a gathering.  The  situation,  amid 
the  grandest  natural  scenery,  irresistibly  recalls  the 
thought  that,  “ as  the  mountains  are  round  about  Je- 
rusalem [Lanouli],  so  the  Lord  is  round  about  His 
people.”  The  grove  of  closely  planted  trees,  which 
forms  a perfect  shelter  from  the  noonday  sun,  is  situ- 
ated on  the  breezy  hill-side,  sufficiently  near  to  the  vil- 
lage and  station  of  Lanouli  to  be  convenient,  yet  far 
enough  away  to  be  secluded ; and  forms  an  equally  wel- 
come change  in  the  hot  season  from  the  moist  and  ener- 
vating heat  of  Bombay,  or  the  sultry,  hot  winds  of  the 
Deccan. 


91 


92 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


To  organize  here  a camp-meeting  as  an  annual  East- 
er gathering,  was  the  inception  of  an  earnest  Methodist 
preacher,  known  as  “ Camp-meeting  Osborn  ” in  his 
own  land.  This  servant  of  God,  Rev.  W.  B.  Osborn, 
was  located  for  a time  in  charge  of  English  work  in 
Bombay,  some  fifteen  to  twenty  years  ago.  Its  or- 
ganization was  an  inspiration,  and  it  has  formed  a 
brightly  anticipated  rallying  point  for  earnest  warm- 
hearted Christians  of  many  denominations.  Rev.  W. 
B.  Osborn  returned  to  America  soon  after;  but  the 
meeting  continued,  conducted  by  various  qualified 
brethren,  none  of  whom  have  been  more  appreciated  as 
a leader  than  the  present  presiding  Elder  of  the  Poona 
Methodist  Church,  Rev.  Dennis  Osborne,  akin  in  name 
and  spirit,  though  not  otherwise  related  to  its  founder. 

To  attend  this  camp-meeting,  whole  families  migrat- 
ed from  Poona  and  Bombay,  and  in  fewer  numbers 
from  other  parts  of  Western  India,  till  the  grove  was 
peopled  with  fifty  to  sixty  tents.  Missionaries  and  peo- 
ple in  business  or  Government  employ,  pastors,  teach- 
ers, and  Bible-women,  Brahmin  and  Parsee  converts  to 
Christianity,  and  those  of  other  castes — till  it  seemed 
like  a foretaste  of  the  time  when  all  kindreds,  and  peo- 
ples, and  tongues,  shall  join  in  the  glad  heavenly  chorus 
of  praise  to  the  Great  Redeemer.  IMany  Christian 
schools  sent  contingents  of  boys  and  girls  old  enough  to 
enjoy  and  profit  by  such  an  occasion;  and  frequently, 


ASKING  GREAT  THINGS  OF  GOD 


93 


not  the  least  blessed  and  enduring  work  was  done 
among  the  young  people. 

Few  who  have  spent  an  Easter  Sunday  with  this  as- 
sembly would  be  likely  to  forget  it.  Awakened  at  dawn 
by  the  sweet  voices  of  a band  of  young  Christians,  sing- 
ing Easter  hymns  and  anthems,  seven  o’clock  found  an 
assembly  gathered  in  the  large  tent  for  a short  and 
bright  Sunday-school  session  in  which  young  and  old 
joined.  At  nine  a prayer  meeting;  at  ten  breakfast, 
served  with  simplicity  in  another  large  tent.  At  eleven 
a love  feast  (including  a communion  service),  when 
hearty,  bright,  and  cheering  testimonies  were  given  in 
English,  Marathi,  Gujarathi,  Hindustani,  and  occas- 
ionally others  of  India’s  many  tongues ; and  so  on 
throughout  the  day.  In  the  large  tent  something  was 
always  going  on.  When  the  English  attenders  were 
resting,  the  Indian  Christians  were  having  a turn  in 
their  own  tongues.  The  large  tent  was  wonderfully 
expansive,  and  after  sundown  became  a roof  only;  for 
no  walls  would  have  held  the  Sunday  evening  congre- 
gation, augmented  as  it  was  by  large  contingents  of 
hearers  from  the  railway  settlement,  which  forms  the 
European  quarter  of  the  Lanouli  village. 

The  camp-meeting  of  1896  was  the  last.  By  Easter 
of  1897  India  was  in  the  grip  of  the  terrible  plague  and 
famine;  and  it  was  not  felt  wise  or  right  to  hold  it. 
Three  years  have  passed,  and  the  hand  of  God  is  still 


94 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


heavy  in  judgment:  when  it  shall  be  lifted  we  may 
confidently  expect  that  the  voice  of  the  assembled  multi- 
tude will  again  make  the  woods  of  Lanouli  vocal  with 
songs  of  praise  to  their  risen  and  reigning  Lord. 

In  1896  one  of  the  chief  speakers  was  a native  evan- 
gelist, who  was  so  full  of  zeal  and  holy  joy  that  it  was 
difficult  for  him  to  leave  off  preaching  and  expounding 
long  enough  to  eat!  If  he  was  not  in  the  rostrum  ad- 
dressing a congregation,  he  would  be  surrounded  by  a 
private  group  of  Indian  Christians,  and  either  in  Eng- 
lish or  through  an  interpreter  was  continually  making 
known  the  way  to  be  a joyful  Christian  to  an  eager 
group  of  listeners. 

Ramabai  was  present  at  this  camp-meeting,  with  a 
fine  group  of  Christian  girls  and  young  women.  Sev- 
eral with  note-book  and  pencil  showed  that  they  under- 
stood and  appreciated  the  opportunity  here  afforded 
them.  An  experience  befel  Ramabai  here,  indicating 
in  a remarkable  degree  how  the  Lord  was  preparing  her 
for  a greater  work : this  must  be  told,  however,  in  her 
own  words.  She  says ; 

“ This  camp-meeting  proved  to  be  an  occasion  of 
special  joy  to  me,  as  I was  accompanied  by  fifteen  of 
my  own  girls  who  were  believers  in  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
had  confessed  Him  before  the  public  as  their  Saviour. 
Amid  the  troubles  and  trials  that  faced  me  at  that 
time,  I rejoiced  much  to  think  that  the  Lord  had  given 


ASKING  GREAT  THINGS  OF  GOD 


95 


me  fifteen  immortal  souls  whom  I could  call  my  spirit- 
ual children.  One  day,  early  in  the  morning,  I went  out 
to  a quiet  place  in  the  woods,  where  I saw  the  sun  rising 
in  all  its  glory.  Then  I thought  of  the  Sun  of  Right- 
eousness, and  wished  much  that  my  people  who  were 
sitting  in  darkness  should  be  willing  to  open  their  eyes 
and  hearts  and  see  Him  rise  in  all  His  heavenly  glory. 
At  that  time  my  heart  was  full  of  joy  and  peace,  and  I 
offered  thanks  to  the  Heavenly  Father  for  having  given 
me  fifteen  children ; and  I was  by  the  Spirit  led  to  pray 
that  the  Lord  would  be  so  gracious  as  to  square  the 
number  of  my  spiritual  children,  increasing  the  number 
to  two  hundred  and  twenty-five,  before  the  next  camp- 
meeting takes  place.  Every  circumstance  was  against 
the  very  thought.  For,  in  the  first  place,  no  more  than 
sixty  or  sixty-five  girls  at  the  most  could  be  admitted 
in  my  school.  Then  the  number  of  my  school-girls 
was  but  forty-nine,  and  some  of  them  were  to  leave  dur- 
ing the  summer  holidays.  Things  were  going  very 
much  against  my  school,  and  I did  not  know  where  to 
get  even  fifty  girls  for  my  institution.  My  mind  began 
to  be  doubtful,  and  I asked  the  Lord  if  it  were  ad- 
visable for  me  to  venture  to  pray  such  a prayer,  and  if  it 
were  even  possible  for  me  to  have  so  many  girls  in  my 
school.  I then  prayed  to  God  to  give  me  a clear  word 
about  it,  and  He  graciously  gave  me  the  following 
words : ‘ Behold,  I am  the  Lord,  the  God  of  all  flesh ; 


96 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


is  there  anything  too  hard  for  me  ? ’ ^ This  proved  to 
be  a rebuke  to  my  unbelieving  soul,  as  well  as  an  as- 
surance of  the  great  things  which  God  meant  to  do  for 
me.  I noted  those  words  in  my  note-book;  put  down 
the  date  on  which  I claimed  two  hundred  and  twenty- 
five  souls  from  God  on  the  strength  of  this  assurance ; 
and  waited  for  Him  to  fulfil  His  promise  in  His  own 
good  time.” 

It  will  thus  be  seen  that  Ramabai’s  spiritual  experi- 
ence was  continually  deepening  and  widening.  She 
had  asked  great  things  of  God ; and  having  received 
great  answers,  was  hungering  and  thirsting  for  more. 
Her  increase  of  faith  and  enjoyment  of  the  Holy  Spirit’s 
leadings,  following  on  a path  of  obedience,  enabled  her 
to  testify  from  a full  cup  to  others.  She  longed  that 
her  own  people  who  had  professed  the  name  of  Christ, 
the  members  of  the  Indian  Christian  Churches,  should 
be  led  out  into  a fuller  life  of  service  for  their  Lord. 
To  a few  who  were  privileged  with  her  confidence,  and 
especially  to  one  sweet  missionary  woman  ’ who  had 
been  used  of  God  in  leading  her  into  some  of  these 
deeper  experiences,  Ramabai  poured  forth  her  longings. 
This  friend  expressed  her  belief  that  God  would  have 
Ramabai  give  her  school  over  into  the  hands  of  others, 
and  herself  do  the  work  of  an  evangelist,  proclaiming 
to  Indian  Christians  all  over  the  land  from  the  fulness 
'Jer.  xxxii.  27.  ’ The  late  Mrs.  Jennie  Fuller. 


Rescued  Widows  Marching  to  Dinner 


ASKING  GREAT  THINGS  OF  GOD 


97 


of  her  own  experience  what  God  was  willing  to  do  for 
those  who  would  trust  Him  fully;  and  pressing  upon 
them  their  responsibility  in  carrying  the  Gospel  to  the 
millions  of  heathen  all  around.  This  friend  seemed  to 
apprehend  that  God  had  some  purpose  for  Ramabai  be- 
yond the  training  of  the  fifty  girls  at  the  Sharada  Sadan. 
He  had ; but  it  was  not  to  be  in  the  relinquishment  of 
her  former  work,  but  in  its  fuller  and  more  complete 
development. 

Ramabai  became  quite  willing  to  follow  in  any  path 
of  service  of  this  kind,  if  the  Lord  should  lead.  She 
began  to  prepare  herself  for  a life  of  itinerant  hardship. 
She  felt  she  should  relinquish  her  salary,  and  trust  God 
for  her  own  needs.  Towards  the  autumn  of  that  year, 
1896,  she  says,  alluding  to  her  camp-meeting  experi- 
ence: 

“ Six  months  passed  away  from  that  time,  and  our 
work  went  on  as  usual.  There  was  no  increase  in  the 
number  of  my  pupils ; on  the  contrary,  the  number  went 
down  to  forty-one,  and  those  Christian  girls  whom  I 
had  told  in  April  that  God  was  going  to  square  their 
number  before  the  next  camp-meeting,  were  perhaps 
beginning  to  doubt  in  their  mind  as  to  whether  I had 
not  been  carried  away  by  my  imaginations,  and  not  in- 
spired by  the  Spirit,  to  have  prayed  such  a prayer  whose 
fulfilment  seemed  to  be  next  to  impossible.  I knew 
nothing  of  the  famine  in  Central  India,  nor  that  I could 


98 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


get  any  girls  fom  that  part  of  the  country.  In  October 
I heard  of  the  terrible  famine  in  the  Central  Provinces, 
and  received  my  call  from  God  to  go  there  and  rescue 
some  of  the  young  widows  who  were  starving  to  death. 
It  was  not  until  the  last  week  of  December  that  I had 
the  courage  to  obey  the  call.  There  were  many  ob- 
stacles. I was  doubtful  whether  I could  get  any  of  the 
kind  of  girl-widows  whom  I could  admit  into  my  school. 
The  next  chief  difficulty  was  the  want  of  place  to  shel- 
ter the  girls,  and  of  money  to  maintain  them,  even  if 
they  were  to  be  had.  So  I did  not  venture  at  first  to 
step  out  of  Poona ; but  my  conscience  began  to  trouble 
me  for  not  having  obeyed  the  call  at  once,  and  I was 
obliged  to  leave  my  comfortable  nest  and  go.” 

Human  reason  might  well  have  thought  there  was 
cause  for  this  delay  and  hesitation  on  Ramabai’s  part. 
Many  would  have  said,  “ I will  go  if  God  sends  me  the 
money.”  But  God's  way  with  Ramabai  was  to  make 
the  obedience  the  test  of  blessing.  There  had  been  at 
that  time  some  difficulty  with  regard  to  the  remittances 
from  America  which  supported  the  school,  some  mis- 
carriage of  money,  delay  or  decrease  in  amount,  which 
had  necessitated  diminished  expenditure ; and  when  the 
Lord  thus  called  Ramabai  to  go  to  the  Central  Prov- 
inces and  rescue  three  hundred  girls,  she  tells  that  she 
had  but  a few  rupees  in  hand.  She  asked  where  she 
should  get  the  money ; but  felt  that  God  would  have  her 


ASKING  GREAT  THINGS  OF  GOD 


99 


go  on,  and  the  money  would  come.  God  had  provided 
the  money,  but  He  was  testing  her  faith.  As  soon  as 
it  was  known  that  Ramabai  had  started  in  search  of 
widows  left  destitute  by  the  famine,  one  of  His  servants 
in  Bombay  undertook  the  expense  of  their  transit  to 
Poona.  Another  called  and  left  a hundred  rupees  at 
the  Sharada  Sadan  for  current  expenditure;  and  from 
one  source  and  another  money  flowed  in  as  needed  for 
the  work  to  which  Ramabai  was  thus  committed. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


THE  FAMINE  OF  iSgy,  AND  THE  RESCUE  OF  STARVING 
WIDOWS. 

" By  terrible  things  in  righteousness  wilt  Thou  answer  us,  O 
Lord  of  our  salvation.” — Psalm  Ixv.  5. 

RAMABAI’S  doubts  as  to  whether  any  widows 
of  the  kind  suitable  for  her  school  (f.  e.,  high- 
caste  widows)  could  be  obtained  in  the  famine 
districts,  were  soon  set  at  rest  when  she  reached  the 
spot.  She  was  accompanied  by  a sensible,  motherly, 
Indian  Christian  Bible-woman;  and  as  Ramabai  went 
from  place  to  place,  gathering  up  the  girls,  she  sent 
them  in  parties  of  from  ten  to  twenty  at  a time  by  this 
Bible-woman  to  Poona. 

Perhaps  the  most  difficult  part  of  the  work  was  the 
reception  and  feeding  of  these  poor  creatures  after  their 
arrival.  It  was  heroically  faced  by  Ramabai ’s  helpers 
in  Poona,  led  by  Soonderbai  Powar,  and  ably  seconded 
by  the  Christian  girls  of  the  Sharada  Sadan,  who  de- 
voted themselves  to  the  cleansing  and  civilizing  of  these 
poor  victims  of  starvation.  All  were  miserably  dirty; 
many  diseased — most  were  suffering  from  sore  heads. 


100 


A Victim  of  Starvation 


A Ruined  Home 


THE  FAMINE  OF  1897 


loi 


sore  mouths,  and  other  complaints  caused  by  starvation ; 
many  were  mere  skeletons,  and  all  clamouring  for  food, 
which  to  have  given  them  in  sufficient  quantity  to  ap- 
pease their  hunger  would  have  caused  their  death.  The 
older  women  and  girls  were  the  most  trying,  and  a few 
ran  away.  Added  to  this,  two  or  three  rebellious  spirits 
among  the  former  pupils  became  troublesome,  and 
several  attempts  were  made  to  burn  down  the  premises, 
without  any  clue  being  found  to  the  perpetrators  of  the 
mischief ; thus  the  position  of  affairs  may  be  better  im- 
agined than  described.  Satan  found  an  opportunity 
for  harassing ; but  the  Lord,  who  is  over  all,  over-ruled 
wonderfully,  and  preserved  from  the  threatened  danger. 

Among  those  suspected  of  incendiarism  was  a Raj- 
put woman,  who  had  been  acting  as  servant  to  Rama- 
bai.  From  this  woman  Ramabai  had  discovered,  to  her 
horror,  that  the  practice  of  infanticide  was  still  prevalent 
in  Rajputana  to  an  alarming  extent.  She  recounted  to 
Ramabai  as  many  as  eight  or  ten  cases  in  her  own 
family,  in  which  girl-children  had  been  exposed  or 
strangled  to  their  death  to  avoid  the  expense  of  their 
maintenance  and  marriage.  A few  weeks  before  start- 
ing for  the  famine  field  Ramabai  had  mentioned  this  to 
the  Convention  of  the  Women’s  Christian  Temperance 
Union,  gathered  at  Poona,  and  had  spoken  of  the  ter- 
rible hardness  of  heart  the  cruel  custom  of  infanticide 
engendered  in  those  who  practised  it.  She  was  in  des- 


102 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


pair,  she  said,  of  influencing  this  Rajput  woman,  noth- 
ing good  seemed  to  touch  her.  It  was  natural,  there- 
fore, that  she  should  be  suspected  of  these  attempts  to 
burn  the  home  that  had  sheltered  her.  There  was,  how- 
ever, no  proof ; but  after  she  and  one  or  two  others  had 
been  removed  the  trouble  ceased. 

After  some  sixty  girls  and  women  had  been  gathered, 
Ramabai  returned  to  Poona  for  a few  days.  While 
there  she  wrote  a rapid  sketch  of  the  way  she  had  been 
led  to  enter  this  work  of  saving  widows,  prefacing  it 
with  the  story  of  her  own  early  experiences  of  starva- 
tion in  1877  (as  related  in  Chapter  I.).  She  sent  the 
story  to  the  Bombay  Guardian,  a Christian  weekly 
newspaper  published  in  Bombay,  then  under  the  editor- 
ial care  of  my  husband  and  myself.  In  this  narrative, 
Ramabai  told  expressly  of  the  fearful  moral  danger  to 
which  young  girls  were  exposed  in  relief  camps  and 
poor-houses,  and  of  the  agents  of  evil  who  were  abroad 
seeking  to  lure  them  to  destruction. 

It  was  a pathetic  story,  but  would  make  my  pages  too 
long  to  quote  it  in  full.  The  concluding  portion,  how- 
ever, will  help  to  elucidate  this  part  of  my  narrative,  and 
must  be  given  here.  Ramabai  said : “ My  sympathies 

are  excited  by  the  needs  of  young  girl-wddows  especially 
at  this  time.  To  let  them  go  to  the  relief  camps  and 
poor-houses,  or  allow  them  to  wander  in  the  streets  and 
on  the  highways  means  their  eternal  destruction. 


THE  FAMINE  OF  1897 


103 


“ Ever  since  I have  seen  these  girls  in  the  famine  dis- 
tricts— some  fallen  into  the  hands  of  wicked  people; 
some  ruined  for  life  and  turned  out  by  their  cruel  mas- 
ters owing  to  bad  diseases,  to  die  a miserable  death  in 
a hopeless,  helpless  manner;  some  being  treated  in  the 
hospitals,  only  to  be  taken  back  into  the  pits  of  sin,  there 
to  await  a cruel  death ; some  bearing  the  burdens  of  sin, 
utterly  lost  to  the  sense  of  shame  and  humanity — hell 
has  become  a horrible  reality  to  me,  and  my  heart  is 
bleeding  for  those  daughters  of  fond  parents  who  have 
died  leaving  them  orphans.  Who  with  a mother’s  heart 
and  a sister’s  love  can  rest  without  doing  everything  in 
her  power  to  save  at  least  a few  of  the  girls  who  can 
yet  be  saved  from  the  hands  of  the  evil  ones  ? 

“ The  Father,  who  is  a very  present  help  in  trouble, 
has  enabled  me  to  get  sixty  widows,  forty-seven  of 
whom  will  go  to  school  to  study,  and  others  will  work. 
To  go  to  work  to  get  these  widows,  to  fetch  them  here 
from  Central  India,  and  to  feed  and  to  clothe  them,  is 
an  expensive  business.  Harder  still  is  the  work  of 
civilizing  them  and  teaching  them  the  habits  of  cleanli- 
ness. Some  are  little  better  than  brute  beasts.  The 
filthy  habits  they  have  acquired  during  this  period  of 
famine  have  become  second  nature  with  them.  It  will 
take  a long  time  to  civilize  and  teach  them.  We  can 
do  all  things  in  the  power  of  the  Lord.  The  Lord  has 
put  it  into  my  mind  to  save  three  hundred  girls  out  of 


104 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


the  famine  districts,  and  I shall  go  to  work  in  His  name. 
The  funds  sent  to  me  by  my  friends  in  America  are 
barely  enough  to  feed  and  educate  fifty  girls ; and  sev- 
eral people  are  asking  me  how  I am  going  to  support 
all  these  girls,  who  may  come  from  Central  India. 
Besides  their  food  and  clothing,  new  dormitories  and 
dining  rooms  must  be  built.  Our  present  school-house 
is  not  large  enough  to  hold  more  than  one  hundred  girls 
at  the  most.  And  how  are  these  emergencies  to  be  met  ? 

“ I do  not  know ; but  the  Lord  knows  what  I need.  I 
can  say  with  the  psalmist — ‘ I am  poor  and  needy,  yet 
the  Lord  thinketh  upon  me  ’ ; and  He  has  promised  that 
‘ Ye  shall  eat  in  plenty  and  be  satisfied,  and  praise  the 
name  of  the  Lord  }'Our  God  that  hath  dealt  wondrously 
with  you ; and  IMy  people  shall  never  be  ashamed.’  My 
girls  and  I are  quite  ready  to  forego  all  our  comforts, 
give  up  luxuries,  and  live  as  plainly  as  we  can.  We 
shall  be  quite  contented  to  have  only  one  meal  of  com- 
mon coarse  food  daily,  if  necessary ; and  so  long  as  we 
have  a little  room  or  a seed  of  grain  left  in  this  house, 
we  shall  try  and  help  our  sisters  who  are  starving.  It 
seems  a sin  to  live  in  this  good  house,  and  eat  plenty 
of  good  food,  and  be  warmly  clothed,  while  thousands 
of  our  fellow-creatures  are  dying  of  hunger,  and  are 
without  shelter.  If  all  of  us  do  our  part  faithfully, 
God  is  faithful  to  fulfil  His  promises,  and  will  send  us 
the  help  we  need  at  this  time.” 


THE  FAMINE  OF  1897 


105 

This  narrative  touched  many  hearts.  It  was  reprint- 
ed from  the  Bombay  Guardian,  and  edition  after  edition 
disposed  of.  Missionaries  and  others  bought  it  in 
quantities  to  send  home  to  their  friends  in  England  and 
America.  They  declared  it  to  be  the  most  keen  de- 
scription of  famine  suffering  which  had  yet  been  depic- 
ted, and  it  proved  to  be  no  small  factor  in  rousing  sym- 
pathy for  India’s  sufferings  in  the  hearts  of  Western 
Christians. 

After  Ramabai  had  launched  the  story  and  had  at- 
tended to  necessary  business  in  Poona,  she  started  again 
to  the  Central  Provinces  for  more  girls,  determined  not 
to  rest  till  her  three  hundred  were  saved.  Within  a 
fortnight,  however,  she  was  called  back  to  Poona  by 
telegraph.  Fresh  trouble  had  arisen.  The  bubonic 
plague,  which  had  been  raging  in  Bombay  for  several 
months,  had  spread  to  Poona.  The  authorities,  at  their 
wits’  end  to  cope  with  it,  were  introducing  stringent 
measures  here  and  there.  A strict  system  of  inspection  of 
dwellings  was  instituted.  The  magistrate  sent  eight- 
een of  the  famine  victims  who  were  suffering  from 
some  ailment  or  other  to  the  hospital  for  observation, 
and  ordered  that  the  number  of  the  permanent  inmates 
of  the  Sharada  Sadan  should  not  be  increased.  This 
caused  the  stoppage  of  the  buildings  which  had  been 
commenced  on  the  Sharada  Sadan  compound  with  a 
view  to  housing  the  fresh  pupils. 


io6 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


Here  was  a dilemma ! But  Ramabai  found  a way 
out.  She  hired  a dozen  tents,  and  sent  the  whole  estab- 
lishment out  into  the  open  country  twenty  miles  away. 
Soonderbai  went  in  charge  of  the  girls,  and  Ramabai 
remained  herself  in  Poona  for  awhile.  This  could  only 
be  a temporary  arrangement.  What  was  to  follow? 

In  this  difficulty  Ramabai’s  thoughts  reverted  to  her 
farm  at  Khedgaon  and  the  piece  of  rocky  waste  land 
there.  She  cabled  to  America  for  permission  to  utilize 
this  as  a temporary  home  for  the  famine-stricken — for 
the  farm  lands  had  been  duly  placed  in  trust  under  the 
same  board  of  trustees  which  held  the  Sharada  Sadan 
property.  Permission  was  received  in  three  days,  and 
the  famine  girls  were  transferred  from  the  tents  to  grass 
huts  erected  on  this  waste  land  at  the  farm.  A large 
barn  was  speedily  in  course  of  erection,  with  a view  to 
forming  some  sort  of  shelter  in  the  coming  rainy 
season. 

When  the  rains  began  in  June,  all  the  intelligent  girls 
of  school  age  who  had  sufficiently  recovered  from 
the  effects  of  starvation  were  transferred  to  a house  at 
Poona,  near  enough  to  the  Sadan  for  school  purposes, 
and  their  education  commenced.  The  remainder,  in- 
cluding older  women  up  to  forty  years  of  age,  were  con- 
tinued at  Khedgaon  under  the  best  shelter  possible. 

A few  very  small  children,  some  almost  babies,  had 
come  in  from  the  famine  districts  with  the  older  girls 


THE  FAMINE  OF  1897  107 

and  women.  Ramabai  appealed  to  the  Sharada  Sadan 
pupils  for  volunteer  mothers.  The  appeal  was  eagerly 
responded  to,  and  very  tenderly  these  poor  little  starved 
waifs  were  cared  for  by  those  to  whom  the  responsibility 
was  entrusted.  One  very  bright  Christian  girl  of  fourteen 
picked  out  the  most  forlorn-looking  baby  of  all.  When 
rallied  by  her  companions  for  choosing  such  a monkey- 
faced child,  Subhodra  replied,  “ Not  to  take  a pretty  and 
attractive  child,  but  to  take  a wretched  and  unattractive 
one  is  love.”  This  dear  girl,  it  was  truly  remarked 
at  the  time,  had  learnt  well  one  of  the  divinest  of  les- 
sons. 

Subhodra  herself,  when  a baby,  had  been  thrown  out 
into  the  road  to  perish  by  a heartless  Hindu  father. 
She  was  taken  in  and  cared  for  by  a neighbour,  and  at 
his  death  came  with  his  young  widow  to  the  Sharada 
Sadan.  She  was  then  a bright  little  girl  of  seven  or 
eight,  brimming  over  with  fun  and  mischief.  She 
proved  a clever  child,  made  good  progress  with  her 
studies,  and,  best  of  all,  became  a true  Christian.  Her 
relatives,  however,  kept  track  of  her,  and  began  to  agi- 
tate for  her  to  be  returned  to  them,  in  order  that  they 
might  get  her  married.  One  of  her  brothers  actually 
came  to  Poona  to  fetch  her;  but  time  had  flown  faster 
than  he  had  reckoned  on,  and  when  he  saw  his  sister  he 
found  she  had  passed  the  age  prior  to  which  the  Brah- 
mins of  his  caste  consider  it  a duty  to  give  their  girls 


io8  PANDITA  RAMABAI 

in  marriage.  To  Ramabai’s  great  joy  he  was  there- 
fore obliged  to  return  without  the  fulfilment  of  his 
object,  and  Subhodra  is  still  an  aifectionate  and  useful 
little  daughter  to  Ramabai. 

The  work  of  rescue  went  on  all  through  those  months 
of  1897  till  the  autumn  harvest  ended  the  famine. 
Gungabai,  Ramabai’s  faithful  Bible-woman,  visited 
poor-houses,  relief  camps,  and  mission  stations,  in  the 
affected  districts,  and  altogether  gathered  from  five  to 
six  hundred  starving  women  and  children.  After  all 
the  girls  and  women  really  suitable  for  the  Sharada 
Sadan  had  been  selected,  Ramabai  passed  on  the  re- 
mainder to  various  mission  orphanages.  She  found 
herself  with  just  the  three  hundred  God  had  told  her  to 
take. 

Ramabai  greatly  rejoiced  in  all  these  as  her  own  God- 
given  children,  whom,  free  from  the  interference  of 
bigoted  parents  or  guardians,  she  could  instruct  in  the 
way  of  life.  All  the  available  spiritual  help  she  could 
obtain  was  pressed  into  the  service  of  teaching  the 
Word  of  God  to  these  as  they  returned  to  health  and 
strength.  Ramabai  believed  that  God  was  going  to 
answer  her  prayer  and  give  her  that  measure  of  spirit- 
ual blessing,  which  she  had,  as  it  were,  seen  in  vision, 
at  the  Lanouli  camp-meeting.  The  Spirit  of  God 
worked  with  the  means  used.  Ten  months  after  she 
started  out  in  faith  to  the  famine  districts  she  was  able 


Bible  Women  with  Bullock-tonga  Ready  to  Start  for  the  Villages  to  I^reach  the  Gospel 


THE  FAMINE  OF  1897 


109 

to  report  that  ninety  of  these  girls  had  given  their  hearts 
to  God,  and  were  showing  signs  of  a real  change  of 
heart  by  serving  and  helping  other  girls,  by  their  self- 
forgetfulness  and  love  one  toward  another.  As  these 
girls  professed  salvation,  they  were  taken  to  the  river 
by  Ramabai,  and  baptized  by  a missionary  in  the  name 
of  the  Triune  God. 

Miss  Parsons,  of  the  Poona  and  India  Village  Mis- 
sion, who  spent  a month  the  same  autumn  with  Rama- 
bai, helping  to  care  for  and  instruct  these  rescued  fam- 
ine victims,  thus  records  her  experiences  among  them : 

“ The  stories  connected  with  some  of  these  dear 
women  and  children  are  sad  in  the  extreme.  A young 
Brahmin  woman  about  eighteen  years  of  age  has  found 
a home  here  with  her  little  boy  ten  months  old.  I asked 
her  why  she  came.  ‘ Oh,’  said  she,  ‘ I got  up  one 
morning  and  found  my  husband  had  deserted  me.  I 
saw  nothing  more  of  him  after  that.’  Praise  the  Lord ! 
since  she  has  come  she  has  accepted  Christ.  Another 
knew  very  little  of  what  love  or  home-life  meant.  Mar- 
ried young,  and  not  being  strong,  she  suffered  a great 
deal.  One  day  her  husband  said,  ‘ I’ve  had  enough  of 
this ; you’re  never  able  to  cook  my  rice.  You  can  go.’ 
The  poor  girl  was  too  ill  to  move,  however ; so  he  moved 
— deserted  her,  and  has  been  unheard  of  since.  After 
some  weeks  she  was  able  to  walk  a little,  so  went  to  her 
mother’s  home ; but  was  there  told  that  they  had  noth- 


no 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


ing  for  her  to  eat,  and  so  she  must  go ; and  while  wan- 
dering about  seeking  food  was  picked  up  by  Ramabai. 
Another  was  one  of  two  wives ; and  being  the  younger 
of  the  two,  she  fared  badly.  The  husband  used  to  get 
the  other  wife  to  beat  her;  so  much  so,  that  she  ran 
away  and  was  eventually  brought  here,  where  she  is 
very  happy  and  contented,  and  will,  when  won  for 
Christ,  be  a very  useful  woman.  She  is  very  quick, 
bright,  and  capable;  and  it  is  a great  pleasure  to  have 
anything  to  do  with  her. 

“ Another  is  a little  widow  about  nine  or  ten  years  of 
age.  Her  husband  died  when  she  was  five,  and  she 
has  had  anything  but  a happy  life  since.  Indeed,  such 
a thing  as  love  or  happiness  is  not  in  the  province  of  a 
great  many  of  these  dear  little  people;  and  one  just 
longs  to  be  a comfort  and  joy  to  them.  This  little 
widow  is  very  quick — learns  the  hymns  very  quickly; 
remembers  the  Bible  stories  wonderfully;  and  best  of 
all,  has  accepted  Christ  as  her  Saviour.  It  is  very 
touching  to  hear  this  dear  child  pray.  She  rises  early, 
and  she  always  prays  aloud : you  can  hear  her  pouring 
out  her  little  heart  to  the  Lord,  and  thanking  Him  for 
giving  her  such  friends  as  the  Christians.  One  day, 
after  I had  been  praying  with  some  of  the  sick  girls,  a 
voice  from  near-by  was  heard — ‘O  bai  (sister),  do 
come  and  pray  for  me.  Last  night  my  hand  was  so 
bad  I could  get  no  sleep.  I sat  up,  and  three  times 


Rescued  Famine  Children  at  Dinner 


THE  FAMINE  OF  1897 


III 


asked  Jesus  to  give  me  sleep;  but  I can’t  understand  it 
a bit.  He  didn’t  let  me  sleep  at  all.  Do  ask  Him  to 
give  me  sleep  to-night;  I am  so  tired.’  I prayed  for 
sleep  for  her,  and  next  morning  her  beaming  face  told 
the  tale.  ‘ Well,  Anandi ! ’ said  I,  ‘ did  Jesus  hear 
prayer  last  night?’  ‘Yes!’  she  said,  ‘and  I slept  all 
night.’ 

“ I think  the  most  beautiful  work  of  grace  I have 
ever  seen  in  any  child’s  heart  was  the  following.  One 
evening  we  were  late  in  going  to  have  prayers  with  the 
girls.  When  we  got  to  the  door,  we  found  dear  little 
Anandi  had  gathered  all  the  women  and  children  to- 
gether, and  was  praying  aloud  with  them,  and  they 
repeating  the  prayer  after  her.  How  the  heart  of  our 
Father  God  must  have  rejoiced  as  He  heard  such  re- 
quests and  thanksgiving  as  ascended  from  that  room ! 
‘ Our  kind  heavenly  Father,  we  do  thank  You  for 
bringing  us  here,  giving  us  such  dear  friends — and  es- 
pecially for  Ramabai.  Oh,  our  kind  Father,  those  of 
us  who  love  You,  we  want  You  to  keep  our  hearts  very 
clean ; and  those  who  don’t  love  You,  quickly  clean  their 
hearts,  and  keep  them  clean  by  Your  Holy  Spirit  dwell- 
ing in  them.  Oh,  our  kind  Father,  take  care  of  all  of 
us  in  this  Home  and  the  Poona  Home  to-night;  bless 
all  who  look  after  us,  and  abundantly  bless  Ramabai 
and  Soonderbai,  who  take  such  care  of  us.  Now 
Father,  we  thank  You  for  Jesus,  and  for  what  Jesus 


I 12 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


promises  to  do  for  us.  Take  care  of  us  to-night,  and 
forgive  us  wherein  we  have  given  You  pain  to-day,  for 
Jesus’  sake.  Amen.’ 

“ I praise  the  Lord  for  the  privilege  of  hearing  such 
a real,  simple  prayer;  and  I am  sure  our  home  people 
will  join  me  in  offering  a big  praise  note  for  ‘ what  God 
hath  wrought  ’ in  less  than  a year  in  some  hearts  out 
here. 

“ Truly  He  is  ‘ able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly  above 
all  that  we  ask  or  think.’^  To  Him  be  the  glory.” 

' Eph.  iii.  20. 


CHAPTER  X. 


“ MUKTI  ” — THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT  AT  KHEDGAON 

“ The  Lord  thy  God : He  it  is  that  doth  go  with  thee.” — 
Deut.  xxxi.  6. 

The  hand  of  the  Lord  has  been  remarkably  seen 
in  raising  up  helpers  for  Ramabai  in  the  great 
work  He  has  put  into  her  hands.  The  hearty 
way  in  which  the  older  girls,  even  some  of  the  Hindus, 
threw  themselves  into  the  work  of  caring  for  the  famine 
girls,  was  delightful  and  inspiring.  The  conversion 
and  baptism  of  groups  of  the  new  girls  from  time  to 
time  had  a reflex  influence  for  good  upon  the  older  ones. 
Many  who  had  been  halting  between  two  opinions  came 
out  boldly  for  Christ,  and  a holy  enthusiasm  seemed  to 
pervade  the  whole  establishment. 

After  the  girls  had  been  gathered  at  Khedgaon,  and 
all  their  material  wants  provided  for,  a vision  opened 
out  to  Ramabai  of  what  such  a settlement  might  mean  to 
the  country  around,  from  an  evangelistic  point  of  view. 
Here,  she  thought,  is  a great  missionary  opportunity  for 
some  fully  qualified  and  consecrated  Christian  woman 
to  come  and  live  among  these  girls,  lead  them  to  the 
Saviour,  and  train  them  in  the  Word  of  God,  so  that 

113 


114 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


they  shall  be  fitted  to  carry  the  Gospel  to  all  the  region 
round  about,  where  no  missionary  work  has  ever  been 
carried  on.  Ramabai  spoke  of  the  need  and  the  oppor- 
tunity to  several  whom  she  thought  suitable,  but  none 
responded.  She  and  her  immediate  helpers  made  it  a 
matter  of  constant  prayer ; and  God  Himself  called  the 
one  He  had  chosen  for  the  post. 

Miss  Minnie  F.  Abrams  came  to  India  in  1887  as  a 
missionary  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  In 
Bombay  she  had  varied  experience,  both  of  visiting  the 
women  and  caring  for  children.  In  1895  she  relin- 
quished the  care  of  the  girls’  boarding  school  in  Bom- 
bay to  devote  herself  to  the  work  of  village  evangeliza- 
tion. She  became  a deaconess  of  that  Church,  and  was 
duly  set  apart  for  this  work.  Miss  Abrams  aimed  to 
reach  the  women  in  those  villages,  where  the  Gospel 
had  already  been  preached  to  the  men.  With  a tent, 
and  two  or  three  Bible-women,  she  itinerated  from  place 
to  place  in  the  villages  around  Poona,  coming  into  the 
city  each  year  for  the  rainy  season.  She  came  into 
Poona  as  usual  at  this  period  in  1897,  employed 
herself  in  caring  for  a number  of  older  famine  widows, 
some  of  whom  were  sent  her  by  Ramabai.  When  the 
end  of  the  rains  came  in  October,  she  was  planning  to 
leave  this  work  in  other  hands,  and  was  making  ar- 
rangements for  another  camping  season. 

One  morning  at  this  time  she  awakened  earlier  than 


A Hungry  Crowd 


THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT  AT  KHEDGAON  115 


usual,  and  as  she  lay  with  the  duties  of  the  day  in  her 
mind,  a voice  seemed  to  say  to  her,  “ Go  to  Khedgaon.” 
The  impression  deepened  on  her  mind,  and  she  went. 
Ramabai  was  absent,  but  Miss  Abrams  surveyed  the 
place,  and  saw  the  girls  and  women  gathered  there. 
She  returned  to  Poona  in  the  evening  wondering  why 
she  had  been  sent  there.  She  said  as  much  to  the  Bible- 
woman  who  had  accompanied  her.  The  woman  re- 
plied ; “ Who  knows  ? Perhaps  one  of  those  tracts 

you  gave  at  the  station  had  a message  for  some  one ! ” 

The  following  morning,  Sunday,  Miss  Abrams  was 
again  awakened  early.  In  telling  the  experience  of  this 
hour,  she  said  reverently  that  it  was  as  if  the  Lord 
Himself  came  and  commissioned  her  to  go  to  Khedgaon 
and  take  up  the  office  of  spiritual  teacher  to  that  flock 

I 

of  girls  and  women.  The  holy  influence  of  that  hour 
followed  her  all  day.  The  sermon  at  the  morning  meet- 
ing was  singularly  appropriate,  and  confirmed  to  her 
the  commission  she  had  received. 

The  next  day  she  went  to  the  Sharada  Sadan,  and 
found  that  Ramabai  had  gone  on  her  final  visit  to  the 
Central  Provinces  on  rescue  business.  Miss  Abrams 
opened  her  heart  to  Soonderbai  Powar,  and  as  she  told 
of  what  she  believed  the  Lord  had  called  her  to,  the 
tears  ran  down  Soonderbai’s  cheeks  and  she  said : 
“ This  is  what  Ramabai  and  I have  for  months  been 
praying  for.”  When  Ramabai  returned,  her  practical 


ii6 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


question  was,  “ When  can  you  come  ? ” In  a fortnight 
all  difficulties  had  been  overcome — Miss  Abrams  was 
established  at  Mukti,  and  commencing  the  work  which 
has  grown  so  remarkably  under  her  care. 

I must  mention  here  the  case  of  Ramabai’s  clerk,  or 
chief  steward.  He  was  a Brahmin  of  good  education, 
a member  of  the  sect  of  reformed  Hindus  known  as 
Brahmos.  He  had  been  in  Ramabai’s  employ  for 
several  years.  At  one  time,  when  the  tide  of  Brahmin 
disfavour  was  setting  strongly  against  Ramabai,  this 
man  acted  against  her  interests  in  a way  for  which  most 
employers  would  have  dismissed  him.  Ramabai,  how- 
ever, retained  his  services,  though  obliged  to  withdraw 
her  most  confidential  work  from  his  hands.  But,  as  the 
years  went  on,  Ramabai’s  faithful  life  and  teaching  led 
him  to  see  that  there  must  be  something  in  the  religion 
she  professed.  Then  the  Lord  dealt  with  him.  His 
wife  became  an  early  victim  of  the  plague  at  Poona. 
And  when  a large  group  of  famine  girls  were  baptized 
in  1897,  more  than  making  up  the  number  promised  to 
Ramabai  at  the  Lanouli  camp-meeting,  Mr.  Gadre  came 
out  also  as  a believer  in  Christ,  and  was  baptized  with 
his  younger  children. 

Miss  Abrams  contributed  a graphic  account,  to  an 
Indian  paper,  of  some  of  the  scenes  that  occurred  in 
connection  with  the  early  conversion  of  the  girls  in  the 
first  weeks  of  her  residence  at  Mukti.  She  spoke  of  a 


The  Barn  ; the  First  Building  Erected  at  Mukti 


THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT  AT  KHEDGAON  117 


great  and  general  awakening  that  had  taken  place  in 
both  the  Poona  and  Mukti  Homes.  This  revival  pre- 
vailed not  only  among  those  who  had  been  rescued  from 
famine,  but  reached  to  a goodly  number  of  the  widows 
who  were  previously  in  the  Sharada  Sadan.  It  was  an 
outcome  of  special  services  held  by  Rev.  W.  W.  Bruere 
— first,  for  ten  days  in  the  Poona  Home,  when  one  hun- 
dred and  sixteen  women  and  child-widows  were  bap- 
tized. He  then  went  on  to  Khedgaon;  and  what  hap- 
pened there  we  must  give  in  Miss  Abrams’  own  words : 

“ The  women  had  been  prepared  for  these  services  by 
constant  daily  religious  teaching,  ever  since  they  entered 
the  Home.  The  older  widows,  and  consequently  those 
most  hardened  in  sin,  are  living  at  the  farm  in  Khed- 
gaon. But  the  Spirit  of  God  is  able  to  transform  even 
hardened  sinners.  He  was  present  in  great  power 
from  the  beginning  of  the  service.  At  the  close  of  three 
days’  services  when  Mr.  Bruere  was  called  away,  sixty- 
seven  had  been  converted.  The  meetings  were  con- 
tinued; Mr.  Bruere  returned;  and  as  the  crowning 
event,  November  15th,  the  baptismal  service  took  place. 

“ It  was  a rare  sight  when  seventeen  bullock  carts, 
crowded  with  seven  and  eight  women  in  each,  started 
out  for  the  Bheema  River,  five  and  a half  miles  distant 
from  the  farm.  Songs  of  joy  arose  one  after  another, 
as  they  slowly  went  along,  methinks  mingling  with  the 
joy  around  the  throne  when  sinners  are  converted. 


ii8 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


“ A tent  was  pitched  on  the  bank  of  the  river,  which 
served  as  a dressing  room.  A short  service  was  held 
by  Rev.  W.  W.  Bruere,  after  which  the  baptisms  took 
place.  Pandita  Ramabai’s  secretary,  Krishnabai,^  and 
the  writer,  stood  in  the  water  and  helped  the  candidates 
to  enter  and  return  to  the  shore.  One  of  the  school- 
mistresses on  the  shore  called  out  the  names  of  those  to 
be  baptized.  It  was  very  interesting  to  hear  each  one 
repeat  with  the  minister,  ‘ In  the  Name  of  the  Father, 
and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the  Holy  Ghost.’  The  happy 
faces  and  frequent  expressions  of  praise  showed  that  the 
Spirit  teaches  His  children  alike  the  w'orld  over,  for 
these  women  had  never  come  in  contact  with  many 
Christians,  revivals,  or  baptismal  services.  One  hun- 
dred and  eight  women  and  girls,  and  one  boy  of  twelve 
years  of  age,  were  baptized. 

“ When  Pandita  was  taking  the  names  of  those  who 
were  asking  for  baptism,  a little  girl  of  six  years  tugged 
away  at  my  dress  and  said,  ‘ Bai,  bai,  mere  nam  likna 
(Bai,  bai,  write  my  name).’  This  dear  little  child, 
who  prays  much  and  gives  evidence  that  she  really  loves 
Jesus,  was  carried  out  into  the  water.  Mr.  Bruere 
took  her  into  his  arms  and  put  her  under  the  water. 
Jesus  took  such  in  His  arms  and  blessed  them. 

“ I should  like  to  tell  of  how  the  Spirit  led  many  to 

’One  of  the  former  converted  widows  who  had  been  acting 
as  Bible-woman  with  Miss  Abrams  for  some  time  previously. 


Frontage  of  Main  Building  at  Mukti,  Showing  Entrance  Gates 


THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT  AT  KHEDGAON  119 

confess  their  sins  of  stealing,  lying,  quarrelling,  and 
fighting;  and  many  with  tears  confessed  their  idolatry. 
One  woman  arose  to  speak.  She  covered  her  eyes,  and 
began  to  pray  in  the  Marathi  language,  but  soon  broke 
forth  in  her  own  language  (Hindustani)  with  the  con- 
fession of  her  sins,  enumerating  them  one  after  another. 
Her  whole  frame  was  convulsed  with  weeping  as  she 
pleaded  the  merits  of  Christ’s  sufferings  on  her  behalf. 
Then  she  broke  forth  into  loud  praises  to  Jesus,  for 
salvation,  the  forgiveness  of  sin.  It  was  a solemn  yet 
a joyous  time. 

“ When  Pandita  was  bringing  widows  from  the  Cent- 
ral Provinces,  a deaf  and  dumb  woman  insisted  on 
coming.  Pandita  refused  to  bring  her.  She  came  and 
sat  in  the  train.  They  made  her  understand  that  she 
could  not  learn  in  school,  hence  could  not  be  taken. 
She  told  them  by  signs  that  she  would  grind,  cook, 
wash  clothes,  scrub,  etc.  She  literally  refused  to  leave 
the  train ; and  at  the  last  minute  Pandita  laughed  and 
bought  her  a ticket.  She  has  been  true  to  her  word  and 
works  cheerfully. 

“ She  always  preserves  a reverent  attitude  during 
worship.  When  the  women  were  asking  Pandita  for 
baptism,  she  persisted  in  having  her  name  written. 
Pandita  tried  to  put  her  aside,  but  again  she  was  per- 
sistent. One  day  she  arose  to  testify.  We  all  felt 
God’s  presence  as  she  stood  in  silent  eloquence  before 


120 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


God.  The  girls  said  aloud,  ‘ Mookkie  knows  God  as 
well  as  we.’  On  two  occasions  she  tried  to  speak  and 
made  a low  sound.  She  received  baptism  with  the 
others.  While  the  services  were  going  on,  one  day  she 
brought  two  children  to  the  altar,  closed  their  eyes,  and 
then  closed  her  own  in  prayer.  All  who  have  con- 
tributed toward  this  famine  work  will  rejoice  at  this 
bountiful  harvest  of  souls.” 

Ramabai  rejoiced  so  at  these  spiritual  developments 
that  she  said  she  could  not  wait  for  another  camp- 
meeting at  Lanouli,  she  must  have  one  of  her  own  at 
Khedgaon.  Accordingly  she  issued  invitations ; and, 
in  response,  a goodly  number  of  missionaries  and  In- 
dian Christians  gathered  in  December,  1897,  to  praise 
the  Lord  with  her  for  all  His  goodness.  Those  who 
attended  it  spoke  of  it  as  a most  favoured  time.  It  in- 
cluded a dedication  service  of  the  new  settlement,  to 
God,  by  the  name  of  Mukti,^  i.  e.,  salvation.  The  large 
bam  served  for  the  meetings,  and  the  visitors  camped 
out  in  grass  huts.  By  this  time  arrangements  had 
been  made  for  a permanent  settlement,  and  ground 
was  laid  out  for  a large  building.  Ramabai  gratefully 
dedicated  the  whole  to  the  Lord,  and  called  the  place 
“ Mukti  ” in  reference  to  Isaiah  lx.  18:  “ Thou  shalt 
call  thy  walls  salvation  and  thy  gates  praise.” 

The  ten  years  for  which  the  Ramabai  circles  in 
‘Pronounced  Mooktie. 


THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT  AT  KHEDGAON  121 


America  had  pledged  their  help  was  to  expire  in  March, 
1898,  and  Ramabai’s  American  friends  had  been  urging 
her  to  come  over  and  help  to  devise  some  way  for  con- 
serving the  interest  in  the  work  and  reconstructing  the 
Association,  in  view  of  its  great  recent  developments. 

Ramabai  had  hitherto  seen  no  possibility  of  leaving 
her  post,  but  had  gone  on  in  faith,  feeling  that  if  the 
Lord  wanted  her  in  America  He  would  Himself  open 
the  way.  Now,  Miss  Abrams’  capable  help  being  pro- 
vided ; IMr.  Cadre’s  conversion  more  than  doubling  his 
usefulness  to  the  institutions ; with  Soonderbai  Powar 
in  full  charge  of  the  Sharada  Sadan — Ramabai  felt 
clear  to  go. 

My  husband  and  I spent  a day  at  Khedgaon  early  in 
January,  1898.  We  happened  on  the  very  day  Ramabai 
was  leaving  for  her  visit  to  America,  a day  of  farewells. 
It  was  affecting  to  see  how  genuine  was  the  grief  of 
large  numbers  of  these  newly-rescued  girls  and  women, 
when  at  the  close  of  the  afternoon  meeting  in  the  bam 
they  came  up  one  at  a time  to  receive  a farewell  em- 
brace from  the  only  real  friend  many  of  them  had  ever 
known.  It  was  a long  day ; the  train  did  not  leave  till 
near  midnight.  About  a hundred  of  the  older  girls 
were  permitted  to  remain  when  the  others  retired  for 
the  night ; and  with  the  teachers  and  a few  visitors  from 
Poona,  all  sat  out  in  the  bright  moonlight  and  pleasant 
cool  air  of  that  January  evening  while  Ramabai  gave 


122 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


her  farewell  counsels.  Her  progress  to  the  station, 
about  a quarter  of  a mile  distant,  reminded  me  of  noth- 
ing so  much  as  a swarm  of  ants  carrying  a cherished 
trophy  up  the  wall,  a frequent  scene  in  India.  There 
were  girls  in  front  of  Ramabai,  behind  her  and  at  each 
side,  all  pressing  to  get  as  near  as  they  could,  till  Rama- 
bai seemed  to  be  literally  carried  along  in  the  midst  of 
the  crowd.  How  gladly  they  would  all  have  accom- 
panied her  to  America! 

It  had  long  been  a cherished  plan  in  Ramabai’s  mind 
to  send  some  of  her  specially  bright  pupils  of  suitable 
character  to  America  for  further  education  and  train- 
ing, with  a view  to  their  helping  her  more  effectively 
in  the  future  of  the  Sharada  Sadan,  or  of  carrying  on 
similar  work  among  the  vast  and  needy  masses  in  other 
parts  of  India.  From  her  own  experiences  she  believed 
that  such  training  would  be  of  immense  benefit  to  them 
in  cultivating  independence  and  individuality  of  char- 
acter. Acting  on  this  belief,  she  sent  three  girls  to 
America  in  1897,  and  took  tw'O  others  with  her  on  this 
journey;  her  own  daughter,  who  had  been  in  England 
for  eighteen  months,  joined  her  mother  on  the  w'ay,  and 
went  on  to  America  with  her. 

Manorama’s  education  had  already  been  generously 
provided  for.  In  one  of  her  recent  Reports,  Ramabai 
tells  how  this  came  about.  She  says : “ When  I was 

about  to  start  from  the  United  States  to  undertake  the 


THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT  AT  KHEDGAON 


123 


work  for  Hindu  widows,  a Christian  lady,  quite  un- 
known to  me,  came  to  see  me  in  Philadelphia.  She 
was  led  by  God  to  help  me  in  some  way.  I did  not 
know  when  I first  met  her  what  a faithful  friend  God 
had  raised  up  for  me  in  her.  After  hearing  a little  of 
my  story  and  what  I needed,  the  lady  before  finishing 
her  call  placed  one  hundred  dollars  in  my  hand  and 
promised  to  pay  all  expenses  of  my  daughter’s  educa- 
tion. This  incident  occurred  nearly  twelve  years  ago. 
I am  very  glad  to  mention  gratefully  that  this  good 
lady  has  kept  her  promise,  and  has  been  paying  my 
daughter’s  expenses  for  the  last  eleven  years.  God  be 
praised  for  such  help,  and  for  the  helper ! But  for 
this  help  I would  not  have  been  able  to  throw  myself 
heart  and  soul  into  this  work.  God  has  freed  my  mind 
from  one  other  care.  I was  seeking  for  a Christian 
home  for  my  daughter  while  she  stays  in  America  for 
her  education.  God  has  given  me  another  great  friend 
in  Mrs.  Emma  S.  Roberts,  Principal  of  the  A.  M. 
Chesbrough  Seminary,  North  Chili,  N.  Y.  She  not 
only  cares  for  my  daughter,  but  has  undertaken  to  sup- 
port and  educate  five  young  widows,  former  pupils  of 
the  Sharada  Sadan,  who  were  sent  to  America  for  edu- 
cation.” 

These  girls  are  making  good  progress.  Tungabai, 
who  had  studied  Sanskrit,  Marathi,  and  'English  at 
home,  is  reading  Greek  and  Latin,  and  will  take  up  the 


124 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


sciences.  Her  thought  is  to  establish  a school  similar  to 
the  Sadan  in  the  southern  part  of  India,  and  thus  will  the 
influence  of  the  Sharada  Sadan  continue  to  spread.  These 
girls,  having  tasted  the  bitterness  of  child-widowhood, 
could  tell  many  a sad  story.  Chumpabai,  for  example, 
had  been  made  to  fast  so  long  that  one  day  hunger 
overcame  fear  and  prudence ; she  attempted  to  help  her- 
self to  a little  of  the  porridge  cooking  over  the  fire : her 
sister-in-law,  discovering  it,  tried  to  pour  the  scalding 
hot  porridge  down  her  throat.  Yessoobai  exclaims 
again  and  again,  “ How  can  you  be  so  kind  to  a poor 
widow?”  Nermaddabai  was  a widow  at  five;  and, 
when  first  an  inmate  of  the  Sadan,  she  would  shrink  and 
crouch  with  fear  before  any  one  approaching  her. 
Now  she  is  friendly  with  all,  and  is  making  fine  prog- 
ress in  her  studies.  Jewoobai,  who  scarcely  under- 
stood a word  of  English  when  she  left  India,  now 
speaks  it  quite  well,  writes  a clear,  bold  hand,  is  quick 
to  see  and  to  learn,  desires  to  know  how  to  do  every- 
thing, and  promises  to  be  an  invaluable  helper  to  Rama- 
bai. 

Ramabai  received  a warm  welcome  on  her  arrival  in 
America.  At  the  Annual  Meeting  of  the  Ramabai  As- 
sociation the  Executive  Committee  disbanded;  but  a 
Committee  was  formed,  including  a number  of  the  old 
workers,  with  a desirable  infusion  of  new  friends.  Mrs. 


Chumpabai  and  Nermaddabai 


THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT  AT  KHEDGAON 


125 


Judith  Andrews,  the  President  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee, continued  in  office  with  all  her  former  zeal  and 
energy.  Before  disbanding,  the  former  Committee  put 
it  upon  record  that  those  who  withdrew  from  the  work 
did  so  from  no  lack  of  confidence  or  interest  in  Ramabai, 
nor  from  any  lack  of  faith  in  the  future.  They  tes- 
tified to  the  harmonious  way  in  which  the  work  had 
been  carried  on,  and  wished  Ramabai  a hearty  God- 
speed. The  new  Committee  stood  pledged  to  work 
on  the  same  lines,  to  support  the  Sharada  Sadan  as 
before,  with  no  time  limit,  and  to  encourage  Rama- 
bai in  the  God-given  developments  of  the  work  at 
Mukti. 

Ramabai’s  address  to  the  Annual  Meeting  was 
throughout  a happy  inspiration.  Here  are  a few  ex- 
tracts ; 

“ You  have  heard  the  reports  of  the  school  which  you 
started  in  India  nine  years  ago.  ...  You  see  the  first 
scholar  of  that  school  standing  before  you;  she  has 
learned  a lesson  there — it  is  to  thank  and  praise  God. 
For  this  work  has  not  been  done  by  human  strength 
alone.  The  Eternal  God  is  behind  it,  and  at  the  foun- 
dation of  it ; and  as  there  is  no  end  to  Him,  there  will  be 
no  end  to  His  work.  . . 

“ In  these  nine  years  we  have  erected  a monument — 

• a monument  to  the  saints.  Let  us  call  this  All  Saints’ 


126 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


Day ! It  is  that  to  me ; and  I thank  God  for  the  saints 
He  has  given  me  for  my  friends.  There  are  these  dear 
departed  friends  who  are  no  more  in  this  world;  but  I 
do  not  mourn  for  them  as  those  who  have  no  hope. 
This  Sharada  Sadan  which  stands  in  Poona  is  a monu- 
ment to  honour  their  memory,  and  also  to  the  honour 
of  those  saints  who  live  here  in  the  Church  militant — 
you,  all  of  you,  who  are  working  for  us  everywhere  in 
this  country,  and  many  who  are  workihg  for  us  all  over 
the  world. 

“ Now,  what  shall  be  the  future  of  the  school  ? 
There  is  nothing  to  regret ; and  you  have  a property  of 
sixty  thousand  dollars,  and  two  schools  with  three  hun- 
dred and  eighty  girls  in  them.  What  shall  we  do  with 
these  schools  and  this  property  ? The  first  thing  I have 
to  tell  you  in  this  connection  is  that  Ramabai  is  dead. 
The  person  who  went  in  your  stead  is  dead  and  gone. 
What  will  you  do  with  the  property  ? The  first  scholar 
of  the  school  suggests  that  a new  Association  be 
formed.  God  gave  me  this  morning  a name  for  it,  if 
you  will  adopt  it.  That  is,  the  Faith,  Hope,  and  Love 
Association  for  the  Emancipation  of  the  High-caste 
Child-widows  of  India ; for  nothing  but  faith  and  hope 
and  love  will  redeem  India.  Do  not  concentrate  your 
interest  in  one  person,  for  that  person  will  die  and  be 
gone,  as  many  have  gone  before ; but  this  Association 


THE  NEW  SETTLEMENT  AT  KHEDGAON  127 


must  not  die.  It  must  be  perpetually  alive;  and  how 
will  it  live  but  through  faith,  hope,  and  love?  Let  this 
new  Association  be  organized  right  here,  to  go  on 
working  in  the  same  old  way. 

“We  want  twenty  thousand  dollars  a year.  When 
I came  here  first,  I only  asked  for  five  thousand;  and 
you  gave  me  six  thousand  a year.  Now  my  hopes  and 
expectations  are  enlarged,  and  my  ambition  for  my  girls 
and  for  the  elevation  of  the  women  of  India  prompts 
me  to  ask  for  great  things.  I believe,  if  we  had  not 
a single  cent  in  hand,  God  would  shower  from  heaven 
the  funds  we  want.  Last  year  God  sent  thirty  thous- 
and dollars.  He  is  as  rich  to-day ; and  He  will  send  us 
twenty  thousand  dollars — not  for  one  year,  or  two,  or 
ten,  but  so  long  as  India  and  its  needs  exist. 

“ We  are  not  to  take  thought  for  to-morrow.  We  are 
only  to  do  His  work  faithfully.  ‘ Seek  ye  first  the 
kingdom  of  God  and  His  righteousness,  and  all  these 
things  shall  be  added  unto  you.’ 

“ Yet  tell  me  that  you  are  very  busy,  and  your  in- 
terests are  divided;  and  some  of  you  say  that  you  are 
very  old  and  cannot  work  any  longer.  You  have  many 
poor  people  to  help,  and  many  widows  and  deserted 
wives,  I suppose;  but  our  needs  are  greater.  Are  you 
too  busy  to  pray  for  us?  No,  because  you  are  mem- 
bers of  that  royal  priesthood  whose  privilege  and  righi; 


128 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


it  is  to  pray  for  us.  Why  can  you  not  work  for  us? 
Yes,  you  can  work  for  us,  and  you  will.  And  what 
about  old  age? 

“ Just  about  the  time  I started  from  India  I was  get- 
ting very  tired,  and  wishing  to  rush  out  from  the  school 
and  give  up  the  work.  I thought  I too  was  getting  too 
old,  and  could  not  stand  it.  But  the  Father  told  me  to 
go  and  read  the  Bible;  and  in  Luke’s  Gospel  I found 
the  story  of  a prophetess  who  is  called  Anna — Mrs. 
Anna,  the  prophetess,  let  us  call  her — and  the  Bible  says 
she  worked  for  eighty-four  years,  and  did  not  give  up 
her  good  work  in  the  temple  service  all  that  time.  And 
God  said  to  me,  ‘ If  you  live  to  be  that  age,  you  must 
work  till  then.’  And  I bring  that  same  message  to 
you,  my  dear  friends ; and  it  is  a glorious  thing  for  you 
to  look  for.” 

In  disbanding,  the  former  officers  of  the  Ramabai  As- 
sociation transferred  the  property  and  all  its  interests 
to  Ramabai  personally.  She  remained  in  America  a 
sufficient  time  to  see  the  New  Board  legally  constituted 
and  the  property  duly  vested  in  the  hands  of  responsible 
trustees. 


CHAPTER  XL 


MATERIAL  PROGRESS  AND  SPIRITUAL  ADVANCEMENT 

“As  sorrowful,  yet  always  rejoicing;  as  poor,  yet  making 
many  rich;  as  having  nothing,  and  yet  possessing  all 
things.” — 2 CoR.  vi.  lo. 

Tests  and  trials  came  both  to  Ramabai  and  her 
helpers  during  the  time  of  her  absence  in  Amer- 
ica. When  she  started  from  Mukti,  the  foun- 
dations were  rising  for  a large  new  building,  erected 
in  the  form  of  a square,  providing  dormitories  for  these 
three  hundred  girls  and  women,  with  rooms  at  each 
corner  for  officers  and  matrons.  There  was  some  mon- 
ey in  hand,  but  not  sufficient  to  maintain  the  establish- 
ment and  complete  the  building  during  the  expected 
months  of  Ramabai’s  absence.  The  stone  was  quarried 
on  the  premises,  and  the  whole  work  was  under  the  care 
of  a qualified  Bengali  Christian  overseer.  Miss  Ab- 
rams undertook  to  be  treasurer;  and  Ramabai  left  the 
work  in  faith  that  God  would  provide  means  as  needed. 
Miss  Abrams  was  instructed  to  pay  all  bills  as  money 
came  in,  but  to  stop  the  work  if  funds  ran  low,  and  on 
no  account  to  go  into  debt.  For  a considerable  time 
funds  did  run  low,  and  on  two  occasions  building  was 

129 


130 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


Stopped  for  a week  or  two;  but  there  was  always  food. 
Still,  it  was  a time  of  trial  to  Miss  Abrams  and  to 
Soonderbai ; and  the  latter  experienced  added  difficulties 
on  account  of  the  recrudescence  of  the  plague  in  Poona. 

This  condition  of  affairs  was  reported  to  Ramabai ; 
and  reaching  her  at  a time  when  she  was  quite  worn  out 
with  the  fatigue  of  travel,  and  the  strain  of  re-arrange- 
ment of  the  American  Association,  it  tried  her  far 
more  than  if  she  had  been  at  home  to  face  the  difficulty 
herself.  For  two  years  without  respite  her  mind  and 
body  had  borne  the  continuous  effort  of  caring  for  these 
needy  ones,  sustained  only  by  her  brave  spirit  and  firm 
faith  in  God.  There  was  no  rest  for  her  when  she  got 
to  America.  It  was  her  earnest  desire  to  meet  the 
wishes  of  her  friends  for  her  to  speak  here,  there,  and 
everywhere ; the  distances  being  often  so  great  as  to  re- 
quire travelling  by  night,  followed,  at  times,  by  two  ad- 
dresses during  the  day.  To  this  was  added  her  intense 
anxiety  about  her  poor  children  at  home.  She  bore  it 
bravely  between  herself  and  God. 

“ But  at  last  there  came  a day,”  says  a friend  in 
America,  “ when  all  this  was  too  much  for  the  over- 
taxed body  and  mind ; and  she  lay  upon  her  bed,  crying 
to  God  in  her  anguish,  and  feeling  that  she  must  go 
home  to  suffer  and  to  die,  if  need  be,  with  her  dear  ones 
there.  During  that  day  of  pain  and  terrible  fear  she 
poured  out  her  heart  to  one  who  loved  her.  The  story 


MATERIAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  ADVANCEMENT  13 1 


was  told  to  two  of  her  best  and  most  generous  friends ; 
and  on  her  return  to  Boston,  a few  evenings  afterward, 
the  entire  sum  necessary  to  relieve,  for  a time,  the  needs 
of  her  children  and  her  own  anxiety,  was  placed  in  her 
hands.  When  she  realized  the  meaning  of  it  all,  her 
weary,  anxious  face  became  illumined  with  joy  and 
with  grateful  love,  as  she  exclaimed  : ‘ Thank  God  and 

those  dear  friends ! Oh,  I shall  sleep  to-night  as  I 
have  not  slept  for  weeks  thinking  of  my  poor  hungry 
children ! ’ ” 

Ramabai’s  longing  for  home  deepened.  The  times 
for  successful  work  in  America  grew  more  unfavor- 
able. The  receipt  of  a telegram  from  London,  request- 
ing her  immediate  presence,  decided  her.  She  sailed 
from  New  York  early  in  July,  with  the  hope  that  an 
English  Association  might  be  formed  to  work  in  har- 
mony with  the  American  Association.  In  this  she  was 
disappointed.  No  plans  had  been  formed,  and  none 
could  be  formed  during  the  summer.  She  hastened  her 
departure  from  England,  after  visiting  the  Keswick 
Convention.  In  August  she  was  with  her  own  again, 
and  none  too  soon.  For  able,  and  faithful,  and  devoted 
as  were  those  having  charge  of  the  schools,  they  were 
not  Ramabai.  On  the  farm  hundreds  of  fruit-trees  had 
died  through  the  neglect  of  the  gardener,  and  Ramabai 
found  herself  obliged  to  discharge  him,  and  take  up  the 
management  of  the  farm  herself 


132 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


In  spite  of  delays  the  buildings  were  sufficiently  near 
to  completion  for  a dedication  service  to  be  held  in  Sep- 
tember; and  again  a large  number  of  missionaries  and 
Christian  friends  from  Poona,  Bombay,  and  elsewhere, 
gathered  at  Mukti,  to  unite  with  Ramabai  in  praising 
God  for  progress  in  material  blessings,  and  for  spiritual 
advancement  in  the  pupils.  Soonderbai  and  the  whole 
of  the  Poona  establishment  were  present. 

The  picture  of  the  building  which  we  reproduce  here 
was  taken  at  this  time.  The  inscription  over  the  large 
gateway  is  “ Praise  the  Lord,”  in  Marathi,  in  pursuance 
of  Ramabai's  determination  to  call  her  walls  “ Salva- 
tion,” and  her  gates  “ Praise.” 

After  Ramabai  came  out  into  the  fulness  of  spiritual 
blessing,  as  related  in  Chapter  VII.,  her  views  as  to  the 
power  of  God  expanded.  She  translated  the  Scriptures 
literally.  She  believed  that  as  the  Lord  made  the  hu- 
man body,  it  was  His  province  to  heal  it ; that  the 
Spirit  would  so  “ quicken  ” her  “ moral  body  ” as  to 
remove  ailments  and  keep  it  in  health.  Taking  Him  at 
His  word  she  commenced  praying  for  the  healing  of  an 
internal  disorder  for  which  she  had  for  years  been  con- 
sulting physicians  at  home  and  abroad  to  no  purpose. 
Soonderbai  joined  with  her  in  prayer  for  half-an-hour 
daily,  and  in  the  course  of  two  months  she  was  able  to 
tell  of  her  own  complete  healing,  and  that  of  two  of  her 
pupils  from  serious  maladies.  She  thus  tested  God 


MATERIAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  ADVANCEMENT  133 

and  proved  that  the  prayer  of  faith  did  heal  the  sick. 
Continuous  miracles  of  this  sort  have  been  wrought 
since  in  connection  with  this  work  of  faith  and  love. 

There  is  so  much  scepticism  on  this  subject,  even 
among  Christians,  that  I do  not  feel  called  upon  to  re- 
late details  here;  but  if  Ramabai  would  write  her  own 
experiences  on  the  line  of  Divine  healing,  I believe  it 
would  be  a more  remarkable  story  than  any  I have  told 
in  these  pages.  I must,  however,  relate  one  circum- 
stance here  of  the  continuous  overruling  of  God’s  power 
with  regard  to  the  pupils  at  the  Sharada  Sadan  at  the 
time  of  the  plague  in  Poona.  I referred  in  Chapter  IX. 
to  the  arbitrary  action  of  the  magistrate  in  carrying  off 
to  the  Plague  Observation  Camp  eighteen  girls  suffer- 
ing from  various  complaints  left  by  the  famine.  These 
were  all  returned  to  the  Sharada  Sadan  in  the  course  of 
a few  days,  except  one  who  was  reported  to  have 
plague.  When  Ramabai  inquired  for  her,  she  was  told 
she  had  died.  A few  weeks  later  a party  of  girls  was 
being  brought  into  Poona  by  rail,  when  a little  one  who 
was  suffering  with  slight  fever  was  taken  at  the  rail- 
way inspection  office  and  sent  off  to  this  Observation 
Camp.  Ramabai  insisted  on  accompanying  the  child, 
a mere  baby,  and  spent  some  days  there  with  her,  until 
she  was  released. 

While  there  Ramabai  began  to  make  particular  en- 
quiries about  the  girl  who  was  reported  dead.  She  never 


134 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


had  been  able  to  believe  that  the  girl  had  the  plague ; and 
now  discovered  that  she  had  not,  and  that  she  was  not 
dead,  but  had  been  detained  by  one  of  the  native  of- 
ficials of  this  camp,  and  was  living  with  him  in  sin. 
The  poor  girl’s  joy  on  seeing  Ramabai  proved  that  she 
had  not  been  a willing  partner  in  the  transaction.  She 
was  again  rescued,  and  sent  to  a kind  missionary  friend, 
but  died  after  a few  months. 

This  experience  proved  to  Ramabai  what  unsafe 
places  these  plague  observation  camps  were  for  young 
girls,  and  yet  to  these  places  families  suspected  of  hav- 
ing cases  of  plague  were  constantly  being  sent  by  the 
authorities.  Should  a case  of  plague  occur  at  the 
Sharada  Sadan,  there  would  be  no  appeal  against  the 
removal  of  all ; and  fever  cases  would  also  be  taken 
there  singly  if  any  were  found.  Ramabai  and  Soonder- 
bai  made  it  a matter  of  earnest  prayer  that  they  might 
be  protected  from  plague,  and  from  any  mistakes  on  the 
part  of  the  plague  inspection  parties  who  visited  the 
house  several  times  a week.  It  was  a generally  un- 
healthy season,  and  cases  of  slight  fever  were  common. 
Soonderbai  has  told  me  of  the  way  in  which  they  would 
all  gather  and  pray  when  a case  of  fever  occurred ; and 
of  how,  even  when  five  or  six  had  appeared  unwell  at 
once  at  night,  the  temperature  of  each  would  be  normal 
when  the  inspection  party  came  round  the  next  day. 
Thus  God  protected  them,  and  no  further  cases  of  re- 


MATERIAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  ADVANCEMENT  135 

moval  occurred.  But  it  will  explain  the  strain  upon 
those  in  charge  of  the  work  at  Poona  during  Ramabai’s 
absence.  Writing  of  Mukti  after  her  return  from 
America,  Ramabai  said : 

“ There  are  neither  doctors  nor  medicines  found  in 
this  village;  those  girls  who  wish  to  resort  to  medical 
help  in  sickness  are  in  no  way  hindered  from  it.  They 
are  taken  to  Poona,  and  proper  medical  treatment  is 
given  them.  Yet  it  must  be  said  to  the  glory  of  God 
that  the  large  majority  of  girls  seek  God’s  help  in  their 
sickness.  The  Lord  has  wonderfully  protected  us  from 
the  dreadful  plague  and  other  sickness.  The  sun,  so 
terribly  hot,  has  not  hurt  us,  nor  the  cold  and  rains. 
The  girls  realize  that  divine  help  is  better  than  human 
means.  So  when  any  one  among  them  is  sick,  they  get 
around  her  and  begin  to  pray,  and  God  answers  their 
prayer  beyond  their  hope  and  expectation.” 

From  the  time  of  the  1897  famine  there  had  been 
scarcity  in  the  country  district  around  Khedgaon, 
though  not  actual  famine.  Ramabai’s  building  oper- 
ations, therefore,  were  a great  boon  to  the  workpeople 
who  came  from  the  neighbouring  villages.  It  has  also 
been  a golden  opportunity  for  giving  them  the  Gospel. 
When  the  building  work  had  to  be  stopped  for  want  of 
funds — and  this  happened  after  Ramabai’s  return,  as 
well  as  while  she  was  absent  in  America — the  workmen 
were  told  that  work  would  be  started  again  when  God 


136 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


sent  the  means.  Not  an  opportunity  was  missed  to 
thank  and  glorify  God  for  His  bounteous  help,  and  to 
show  how  absolutely  dependent  we  are  upon  Him. 
Thus  the  heathen  workmen  employed  on  the  buildings 
came  to  know  that  there  is  a living  God  who  hears  and 
answers  prayer,  who  does  not  desert  His  people,  and 
who  is  so  different  from  the  lifeless  gods  and  devils 
whom  they  serve.  The  number  of  workmen  employed 
on  the  buildings  has  averaged  from  eighty  to  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty.  Their  usual  time  of  labour  is  nine 
hours  every  day ; but  they  were  allowed  to  work  only  for 
eight  hours,  and  in  the  last  hour  are  called  together  to 
hear  the  Gospel  preached  by  fvliss  Abrams  and  other 
missionaries.  A number  attended  Sunday  School  in 
connection  with  the  Mukti  Church,  and  the  Gospel  is 
finding  its  way  into  some  of  their  hearts. 

Ramabai’s  desire  that  the  rescued  girls  should  be 
trained  to  work  in  these  villages  was  granted  almost 
sooner  than  she  expected.  At  Christmas,  1898,  Miss 
Abrams  gave  several  addresses  on  the  spiritual  needs 
of  India,  in  the  endeavour  to  incite  a missionary  spirit 
in  the  minds  of  these  young  disciples,  themselves  so 
recently  won  from  heathendom.  She  then  told  them 
of  the  Student  Volunteer  Movement  in  the  American 
and  English  colleges,  and  of  the  numbers  of  students 
who  had  pledged  their  lives  to  mission  work,  as  God 
should  open  the  way.  When  Miss  Abrams  suggested 


MATERIAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  ADVANCEMENT  137 


the  formation  of  such  a mission  band  at  Mukti,  thirty- 
five  volunteered  to  be  ready  for  training  for  evangelistic 
work.  They  agreed  to  meet  daily  at  noon  for  an  hour’s 
extra  Bible  teaching.  In  a few  months  from  that  time 
several  were  regularly  employed  with  the  other  Bible- 
women  in  visiting  the  villages. 

When  the  Collector  of  the  district  (the  British  magis- 
trate) visited  Khedgaon,  he  was  astonished  to  find  how 
strong  was  Ramabai’s  influence  for  good  among  the 
villagers.  Beside  the  amount  of  work  provided  for 
them  in  needy  times,  Ramabai  proved  their  benefactor 
in  another  sense.  The  ground  on  the  opposite  side  of 
the  road  to  the  Mukti  buildings  was  owned  by  a liquor- 
dealer.  This  ground  came  close  to  the  buildings. 
There  were  rumors  that  some  one  intended  to  open  a 
liquor-shop  close  by  her  property.  Ramabai  went  to 
the  Collector  of  the  district  and  secured  a promise  from 
him  that  no  license  to  sell  liquor  in  Khedgaon  should  be 
granted  to  any  one.  But  to  make  herself  secure  from 
any  possible  annoyance  of  the  kind  she  purchased  the 
liquor-dealer’s  farm  containing  seventeen  acres.  She 
then  invited  the  people  in  the  surrounding  country  to 
establish  a weekly  bazaar  on  this  roadside.  They  were 
thankful  for  the  opportunity  to  do  so,  as  the  nearest 
bazaar  was  eight  miles  away.  This  new  bazaar  is  a 
boon  to  the  people ; Ramabai  and  her  employees  buy  a 
good  deal  of  the  produce  brought  for  sale,  and  it  tends 


138 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


to  cheapen  some  kinds  of  goods.  It  also  brings  the 
people  within  sound  of  the  Gospel,  which  is  proclaimed, 
both  by  voice  and  the  printed  page,  every  bazaar  day. 

In  January,  1899,  my  husband  and  I paid  a farewell 
visit  to  Khedgaon  before  leaving  India.  We  found 
the  work  going  on  most  satisfactorily,  and  a number  of 
industries  in  full  swing. 

These  industries  were  chiefly  of  an  agricultural  na- 
ture, preparing  food-stuffs  for  consumption  at  Mukti 
and  the  Sharada  Sadan,  and  thus  reducing  materially 
the  expenditure  of  both  establishments. 

The  dairy  department  provided  all  the  milk,  butter, 
ghee,  and  dhye,  for  both  institutions.  A gift  of  fifty 
pounds  sent  to  Ramabai  by  a lady  in  England,  instead 
of  a legacy,  had  then  recently  enabled  her  to  enlarge 
this  department  of  the  work  by  the  purchase  of  more 
cows ; and  while  in  America  the  previous  year  a wealthy 
American  friend  had  given  her  some  American  chums 
and  other  improved  dairy  appliances,  including  some 
very  nicely  contrived  cans  in  which  milk  was  daily  sent 
by  rail  to  Poona.  We  went  to  see  the  cows,  a number  of 
which  had  young  calves.  Ramabai  was  then  anticipating 
the  increase  of  this  department  into  a regular  business  of 
supplying  dairy  produce  to  customers  in  Poona;  but 
the  subsequent  famine  made  it  very  difficult  to  main- 
tain the  cattle,  and  all  the  milk  and  ghee  obtainable 


Dairy  Work  at  Mukti 


MATERIAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  ADVANCEMENT  139 

were  needed  to  sustain  and  succour  the  famine  vic- 
tims. 

The  deaf  and  dumb  woman  was  in  charge  of  the 
churning  department,  and  eagerly  displayed  to  us  the 
superiority  of  the  new  churns  over  the  previously  em- 
ployed native  methods.  This  old  method  consisted  of 
a pole  about  the  size  of  a broom-handle,  with  short 
cross-way  bars  fixed  on  the  lower  end,  not  unlike  a 
“ dolly  ” used  in  some  parts  of  England  for  washing 
clothes.  The  pole  is  swiftly  whirled  in  the  pot  of  milk 
till  the  cream  comes.  Both  kinds  of  churn  are  shown 
in  our  illustration. 

“ Ghee  ” is  clarified  butter ; and  “ dhye  ” is  a kind 
of  curd-cheese  much  used.  Both  are  important  ele- 
ments in  the  daily  food  of  non-meat-eaters  in  India. 
When  sufficient  butter  and  ghee  cannot  be  obtained, 
a good  substitute  is  found  in  a sort  of  vegetable  oil. 
This  is  made  from  a g^ain  called  Kardi  (or  “ Tilly  ” 
in  the  Central  Provinces).  The  grain  for  making  this 
oil  was  grown  on  the  farm  at  Mukti.  Among  the 
widows  rescued  from  the  1897  famine  was  one  who  un- 
derstood the  process  of  oil-making.  Ramabai,  prompt 
to  seize  opportunities,  purchased  a second-hand  oil 
mill,  and  placed  her  in  charge.  The  mill  interested  us 
very  much ; it  was  a clumsy  looking  erection,  a heavy 
upright  beam,  some  cords  and  pulleys,  with  another 


140 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


beam  placed  crosswise;  this  was  attached  to  the  yoke 
of  a small  bullock  who  patiently  plodded  round  and 
round  in  a circle  with  his  eyes  blinded.  A large  hundie 
(cooking  pot)  stood  at  the  mouth  of  the  mill,  and  re- 
ceived the  oil  as  it  flowed.  This  had  to  undergo  some 
process  of  boiling  or  purifying  before  it  was  ready  for 
use.  Several  girls  were  employed,  beside  the  woman 
in  charge,  sifting  and  sorting  the  grain  and  prepar- 
ing it  for  the  mill.  Ramabai  said  this  manufacture 
effected  a great  saving  in  expense. 

While  we  were  there,  the  woman  lifted  up  a full  pot 
of  oil  and  put  it  aside.  We  had  been  admiringly  watch- 
ing the  patient  little  bullock,  and  just  then  I ventured 
to  pat  its  back.  Then  was  a transformation  scene.  The 
unaccustomed  caress  so  scared  the  apparently  gentle 
little  creature,  that  he  began  kicking  and  plunging  in 
every  direction.  We  had  to  beat  a hasty  retreat,  and 
send  a workman  to  assist  the  woman  in  disentangling 
the  animal  from  the  cords  of  the  machinery  into  which 
it  had  pranced.  Happily  the  pot  of  oil  had  just  been 
placed  outside  of  his  range,  and  no  damage  of  conse- 
quence was  done. 

A field  of  red  peppers  ready  for  harvest  at  this  time 
was  employing  a troop  of  women  and  girls  in  gather- 
ing, sorting,  and  drying  the  pods.  Another  detach- 
ment was  at  work  harvesting  the  jowari  crop — a grain 
used  instead  of  wheat  in  making  bread. 


i 


Hand  Looms,  on  Which  Dkesses  for  Women  are  Woven 


MATERIAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  ADVANCEMENT  141 

A weaving  department  with  about  twelve  looms  was 
under  the  care  of  a Christian  man,  who  was  employed 
to  teach,  to  a selected  number  of  young  women,  the 
art  and  mystery  of  weaving  sarees  (the  length  of  ma- 
terial which  gracefully  twisted  about  the  person  forms 
the  dress  of  the  Marathi  women.)  The  preparation  and 
spinning  of  cotton  yarn  from  the  raw  material  is  an 
adjunct  of  this  industry,  and  employs  as  many  in  pro- 
portion as  the  looms. 

The  manufacture  of  these  hand-loom  dress-stuffs  is 
an  industry  which  has  not  been  affected  to  any  great 
extent  by  the  modern  Manchester  competition.  True, 
the  mills  do  put  out  a printed  cotton  saree,  but  in  wear 
and  durability  it  is  not  to  be  compared  to  the  hand- 
loom  production,  and  for  women’s  garments  the  hand- 
loom  still  holds  its  own.  It  is  well  that  it  is  so;  and  I 
for  one  trust  the  day  is  far  distant  when  this  whole- 
some simple  family  industry  will  be  substituted  in  In- 
dia by  the  herding  together  of  crowds  of  persons  in 
the  unhealthy  moral  atmosphere  of  mill  life.  Bombay 
has  already  its  forest  of  mill  chimneys.  The  work- 
ers are  chiefly  men  from  country  districts,  and  the 
women  are  the  wives  of  working  men,  who  are  in  all 
sorts  of  employment  in  the  city.  Frequently  a man  will 
have  two  wives,  one  of  whom  works  at  the  mill  from 
seven  in  the  morning  till  six  at  night ; the  other  remain- 
ing at  home  to  provide  for  the  family.  Tragedies  often 


142 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


come  up  in  the  police-court  which  reveal  the  sort  of 
life  led  by  these  unfortunate  women.  Contrast  this 
with  a model  settlement  of  Christian  weavers  which 
we  saw  at  Itarsi,  in  the  Central  Provinces,  in  con- 
nection with  the  Friends’  Mission.  These  were  heredi- 
tary weavers  who  had  become  Christian.  Their  com- 
fortable home-life,  wives  and  daughters  plying  the 
spinning  wheel,  dyeing  and  winding  the  yarn,  the  boys 
learning  to  take  their  father’s  seat  at  the  loom  when 
school  days  should  be  over,  and  the  babies  rolling  in  the 
sunshine,  gave  an  almost  ideal  picture  of  what  indus- 
trial life  should  be. 

Those  who  would  successfully  solve  the  problem  of 
the  industrial  employment  of  Indian  Christians  will  be 
wise  to  take  into  consideration  the  system  of  family  in- 
dustries indigenous  to  the  country. 

Rev.  Albert  Norton,  a missionary  of  many  years’ 
experience,  had  arrived  with  his  wife  from  Amer- 
ica, and  was  helping  in  the  outside  mission  work. 
Fifteen  villages  in  the  neighbourhood  were  then  ac- 
cessible to  Gospel  work.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Norton  had 
organized  Sunday  Schools  in  some  of  these.  Two 
Bible-women  were  going  out  daily  from  Mukti  to  these 
villages.  Miss  Abrams  accompanying  them  as  often  as 
her  other  duties  permitted. 

I had  the  privilege  of  going  with  them  on  one  after- 
noon to  a village  two  miles  away.  I was  impressed 


MATERIAL  AND  SPIRITUAL  ADVANCEMENT  143 

with  the  miserably  poverty-stricken  aspect  of  the  place. 
It  had  the  appearance  of  having  been  at  some  time 
wrecked,  and  then  patched  up  with  any  and  every  kind 
of  material  that  could  be  got : mud  and  straw  by  choice. 
Some  of  the  stone  walls  were  high  and  massive,  and  the 
doorways  pretentious.  Some  of  the  “ cosiest  homes,” 
if  such  words  could  be  used  in  such  a connection,  were 
mud  walls  with  thatched  roofs.  These  at  least  were  in 
keeping.  I was  told  that  this  village  was  in  fair  ave- 
rage condition. 

Seven  times  during  the  afternoon  we  sat  on  door- 
steps or  outside  of  houses,  at  the  invitation  of  the  in- 
mates, while  a little  crowd  gathered  around  to  hear  the 
Gospel  hymns  and  messages  from  Miss  Abrams  and 
the  Bible-women.  All  castes  were  visited,  high  and 
low. 

As  we  drove  home  through  the  moonlight,  Miss  Ab- 
rams told  me  of  some  of  the  responses  made  by  the  peo- 
ple, which  I had  been  unable  to  understand,  and  also  of 
some  of  her  experiences  in  the  work.  When  she  first 
visited  some  of  the  villages  in  this  district,  she  found 
they  had  never  seen  a white  woman  before;  some  were 
afraid,  and  afterwards  told  her  they  took  her  for  a sol- 
dier in  disguise.  At  one  house  where  the  neighbour- 
women  had  gathered  to  hear,  o.  excused  herself  from 
remaining  by  saying  she  had  grain  to  sift  at  home ; the 
hostess  spoke  up  and  said : “ Don’t  go,  you  can  clean 


144 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


grain  any  day ; but  it  is  not  every  day  you  can  see  such 
an  image  as  this.” 

We  left  Mukti  more  than  ever  impressed  with  the 
wide  possibilities  and  healthy  developments  of  the  work 
in  the  hands  of  Ramabai  and  her  helpers. 

Two  Christian  women  from  America  were  then  on 
a visit  to  Mukti.  These  friends  helped  Ramabai  to 
give  shape  to  a thought  that  had  long  been  with  her, 
for  the  erection  of  a building  specially  for  the  care  of 
girls  who  had  been  sinned  against  by  wicked  men ; many 
of  these  were  sick,  and  it  was  undesirable  that  such 
should  be  mixed  with  the  others.  The  younger  lady 
took  charge  of  a few  of  this  class  already  with  Ramabai. 
She  remained  for  nearly  twelve  months.  She  nursed 
several  of  these  poor  girls  back  to  good  health,  and  then 
left  to  establish  a rescue  home  of  her  own  in  another 
part  of  India.  The  other  stayed  and  saw  the  founda- 
tions in  for  a new  building  on  the  piece  of  ground  pur- 
chased from  the  liquor-dealer.  She  then  returned  to 
America,  and  worked  for  some  months  both  there  and 
in  England,  and  raised  half  the  amount  needed  for  this 
new  building. 

Rev.  Albert  Norton  and  his  wife  remained  with 
Ramabai  till  February,  1900,  when  they  removed  to 
Dhond,  ten  miles  distant,  being  led  to  undertake  famine 
relief  work  especially  on  the  line  of  caring  for  destitute 
boys. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


RESCUE  WORK  DURING  THE  FAMINE  OF  I9OO 

“ The  servants  of  Christ,  doing  the  will  of  God  from  the 
heart.” — Eph.  vi.  7. 

WPfEN  Ramabai  was  making  her  garden  at  the 
Sharada  Sadan  in  years  gone  by,  she  plan- 
ned to  have  a fernery  around  a fountain. 
Ferns  were  brought  from  the  Ghauts  at  Lanouli,  or 
Khandalla,  where  in  the  rainy  season  they  adorn  in 
profusion  the  sides  of  the  rocky  hills,  clothing  their  na- 
tive barrenness  with  a garment  of  tender  and  lovely 
green.  Baskets  of  these  ferns  can  always  be  purchased 
for  a few  annas  at  the  railway  stations  on  the  Ghauts, 
and  many  people  take  them  home  and  transplant  them, 
but  they  rarely  survive  the  operation — they  are  rock- 
grown,  and  will  not  root  in  ordinary  garden  soil.  This 
was  also  Ramabai’s  experience.  But  she  meant  to  have 
a fernery,  and  nothing  daunted  by  failure,  she  hired  two 
bullock  carts,  and  went  off  one  day  to  a river-side  some 
twenty  miles  distant,  where  she  knew  she  would  find 
what  she  wanted.  She  brought  back  quantities  of 

145 


146 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


beautiful  maiden-hair,  roots,  soil,  and  all,  and  planted 
her  fernery,  which  flourishes  to  this  day. 

It  is  this  characteristic  of  determination  and  perse- 
verance that  has  been  a large  factor  in  the  human  side 
of  her  work.  Ramabai  ascribes  all  the  glory  to  God, 
and  looks  upon  herself  as  solely  an  instrument  in  His 
hands.  But  she  is  a polished  instrument,  and  will  have 
the  reward  of  those  who  have  placed  all  their  talents  out 
at  highest  interest  in  God’  service.  Her  versatility  is 
a constant  source  of  wonder  to  her  friends.  In  a recent 
Report  of  the  Ramabai  Association,  Mrs.  Andrews 
wrote : 

“ Do  you  ask  if  she  is  equal  to  doing  so  many  things, 
and  doing  them  well — of  buying  and  building,  of  plan- 
ning and  executing,  of  farming  and  teaching?  Dr. 
Hale’s  words,  uttered  years  ago,  are  as  true  now  as  then, 
and  will  answer  the  question : ‘ This  little  woman,  who 

has  had  this  remarkable  success  with  audiences ; who 
has  had  the  wit  to  think  out  this  combination  of  circles 
which  work  together  so  well,  goes  back  to  India.  The 
chances  were  ninety-nine  out  of  a hundred  that  she 
would  have  wasted  the  whole  of  her  money.  There  are  . 
very  excellent  people,  who  can  do  something  of  what 
she  has  done,  who  have  not  the  slightest  executive  ca- 
pacity; and  it  ought  to  be  said  that  most  people  who 
talk  well,  as  she  does,  are  singularly  destitute  of  the 
power  of  working  well.  . . . But  here  this  wonderful 


Thk  Sick  from  Famine  Diseases,  at  Mukti  Hospital 


RESCUE  WORK 


147 


little  woman  who  has  roused  the  whole  country,  and  has 
raised  this  sum  of  money,  and  has  organized  all  this 
thing,  goes  out  there  and  proves  to  be  a first-rate  edu- 
cator. And  she  proves  to  be  a first-rate  buyer,  and  a 
first-rate  person  to  get  on  with  contractors.’  ” 

We  may  add  to  this  that  she  is  a capable  farmer,  and 
a poet  of  no  mean  order.  In  the  Kindergarten,  which 
is  a part  of  her  educational  work,  training  the  older 
girls  to  teach  the  little  ones,  many  of  the  action  songs 
used  in  English  schools  have  been  aptly  translated  into 
Marathi  by  Ramabai.  She  has  also  enriched  the  song 
of  the  Marathi  Christian  Church  with  a number  of 
beautiful  hymns  to  English  as  well  as  Indian  tunes. 

And  the  spring  of  all  her  inspiration  is  love  to  God 
and  man,  kindled  by  that  love  of  Christ  which  con- 
strains to  spend  and  be  spent,  and  to  suffer  for  others. 
Ramabai  tells  how  in  one  part  of  her  father’s  house, 
when  she  was  but  nine  years  old,  there  lived  a poor 
family.  The  family  consisted  of  a man  of  thirty  years 
of  age,  his  girl-wife  of  sixteen,  and  his  old  mother. 
The  mother-in-law  was  all  the  worst  that  is  implied  by 
that  name  in  India — a heartless  old  hag,  always  beat- 
ing, abusing,  and  cruelly  treating  her  daughter-in-law. 
One  day  when  the  girl  was  spinning,  a monkey  stole  her 
cotton.  For  this  carelessness  the  girl  was  abused  by 
the  mother-in-law,  who  nagged  the  husband  on  to  beat 
her.  Ramabai  adds ; “ I was  an  eye-witness  to  all 


148 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


this.  Her  piercing  cries  went  right  to  my  heart ; and  I 
seem  to  hear  them  now  after  nearly  thirty  years.  My 
childish  heart  was  filled  with  indignation.  I was 
powerless  to  help.  But  I have  never  forgotten  that 
poor  girl’s  cries  for  help ; and  I suppose  it  was  the  first 
call  I received  to  enter  upon  the  sacred  duty  of  helping 
my  sisters  according  to  the  little  strength  I had.  But 
I never  realized  the  extent  of  grief  and  suffering  and 
the  need  of  my  sisters  just  as  long  as  I remained  in 
darkness,  and  had  no  love  of  God  in  me.” 

The  funds  raised  in  England  in  the  autumn  of  1899 
for  the  new  rescue  building  were  doubly  welcome.  An- 
other famine  had  broken  out  in  India,  and  this  time  the 
country  around  Khedgaon  was  more  deeply  affected. 
This  money  came  in  time  of  need  to  employ  many  starv- 
ing people  in  the  erection  of  the  rescue  home.  And 
Ramabai  found  herself  obliged  to  make  the  needs  of 
her  starving  neighbours  known,  and  to  help  many  with 
work  and  the  more  helpless  with  alms.  This  new 
famine  increased  in  severity,  and  added  trouble  was 
caused  by  the  scarcity  of  water.  Still  Ramabai’s  heart 
went  out  to  the  poor  wandering  and  starving  high-caste 
widows. 

In  Bombay  Presidency  and  the  Central  Provinces 
organized  relief  work  met  to  some  extent  the  needs  of 
the  people;  but  in  Gujerat,  in  which  there  had  been  no 
famine  for  one  hundred  years,  and  in  Rajputana,  a ter- 


The  Gardening  Staff  with  Watering  1’ots 


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RESCUE  WORK 


149 


rible  state  of  things  existed ; and  Ramabai  felt  she  must 
go  and  gather  some  of  the  poor  girls  from  these  places. 
She  knew  that  the  emissaries  of  evil  were  busy  already, 
and  felt  she  must  be  up  and  doing.  She  waited  on  God 
to  know  His  mind  about  it.  She  writes : “ The  treas- 

ury was  quite  empty;  and  when  the  quarterly  balance 
sheet  was  prepared  in  the  middle  of  October,  there  was 
no  balance  left  at  all.  Reports  of  the  widespread 
famine  and  the  wicked  traffic  in  girls  reached  me  from 
many  sides.  Still  there  was  nothing  to  be  done  except 
to  wait  and  pray.  The  Lord  did  not  try  my  faith  very 
long.  The  very  next  day  a cheque  for  Rs. 272-2-0  was 
sent  for  Mukti,  and  another  daily  need  was  supplied  in 
a wonderful  manner.  It  was  then  made  clear  to  me 
that  I must  step  out  in  faith,  and  receive  as  many  girls 
as  the  Lord  would  have  me  reach.  So  the  work  was 
begun  at  once.  Workers  were  stationed  at  different 
places  to  search  for  young  girls.  There  was  no  money 
for  buying  material  to  build  new  sheds,  so  some  old 
material  was  gathered,  and  a shed  was  prepared  to  shel- 
ter the  newcomers.” 

Ramabai  was  happy  in  having  some  good  workers  to 
send  on  this  errand.  They  have  done  the  greater  part 
of  the  work,  though  Ramabai  paid,  at  least,  three  visits 
herself  to  the  most  terribly  afflicted  districts.  She  says 
of  these  women  that  they  have  shared  all  the  hardships 
in  the  famine  relief  work.  “ Gangabai,  who  has  been  in 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


153 

this  work  from  the  beginning,  has  gone  through  many 
hardships.  She  has  spared  neither  strength  nor  time 
to  do  all  she  can  for  the  famine  girls.  She  is  a splendid 
worker,  called  of  God  to  gather  many  girls,  and  seems 
to  have  a special  gift  in  this  line  of  work.  Kashibai 
and  Bhimabai  are  both  converts  from  Hinduism, 
Kashibai  gave  up  her  comfortable  home,  her  husband, 
and  all,  for  the  sake  of  following  the  Master  when  He 
called  her.  She  is  a very  simple  woman,  very  timid 
and  unacquainted  with  the  wisdom  of  the  world. 
Bhimabai  was  a Hindu  Fakir,  had  travelled  a great 
deal,  visited  many  sacred  shrines,  bathed  in  the  sacred 
rivers  and  tanks  to  have  her  sins  washed  away;  but  all 
to  no  purpose.  At  last  the  Lord  took  compassion  on 
her  and  revealed  Himself  to  her  as  the  Saviour  of  her 
soul ; and  now  she  is  a happy  Christian,  preaching  the 
Gospel  to  hundreds  of  village  women. 

“ These  three  simple  and  almost  illiterate  women, 
protected  by  the  strong  and  mighty  hand  of  God,  have 
travelled  alone  for  hundreds  of  miles  in  jungles,  vil- 
lages, cities,  on  highways  and  byways,  in  search  of 
starving  and  dying  young  girls.  They  have  walked  for 
miles  in  the  burning  sun ; gone  without  food  and  rest ; 
worked  incessantly  for  the  salvation  of  the  dying  hun- 
dreds. Their  work  will  be  recorded  in  the  Book  of  the 
Lamb ; for  no  one  who  has  not  borne  the  hardships  of 
work  among  famine-stricken  people,  and  been  with 


All  Crain  for  Bread  is  Ground  by  Women  with  These  I’rimitive  Hand  Mills 


RESCUE  WORK 


151 

them  for  days  and  nights,  can  appreciate  their  labour 
and  know  what  they  have  to  endure.  I see  the  Gospel 
declaration — i Corinth,  i.  26-29  ^ — verified  when  I see 
these  and  other  simple  Christian  women  used  of  the 
Lord  for  His  service.  They  are  doing  a work  from 
which  many  a mighty  man  would  shrink. 

“ It  is  but  a small  thing  to  fight  a great  battle  and  win 
a victory  with  many  titles,  compared  with  the  heroism 
of  such  women.  They  must  be  truly  blind  who  cannot 
see  the  strength  and  high  courage  which  the  Spirit  of 
Christ  gives  to  the  most  timid  and  despised  women  of 
this  country.  I have  more  than  one  hundred  noble 
young  women  in  my  schools  alone  who  are  nobly  sacri- 
ficing their  comfort,  even  their  lives,  in  the  service  of 
their  sisters.  Since  their  conversion  to  Christ  they  are 
so  changed  that  one  who  was  acquainted  with  them  be- 
fore they  were  Christians  could  hardly  recognise  them 
now.  God  be  praised  for  His  wondrous  love,  which 
can  turn  the  selfish,  unruly,  and  devilish  heart,  and  re- 
flect into  it  the  beautiful  image  of  His  meek  and  loving 

For  ye  see  your  calling,  brethren,  how  that  not  many 
wise  men  after  the  flesh,  not  many  mighty,  not  many  noble, 
are  called;  but  God  hath  chosen  the  foolish  things  of  the 
world  to  confound  the  wise;  and  God  hath  chosen  the  weak 
things  of  the  world  to  confound  the  things  which  are  mighty; 
and  base  things  of  the  world,  and  things  which  are  despised, 
hath  God  chosen,  yea,  and  things  which  are  not,  to  bring  to 
nought  things  that  are:  that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his 
presence.” 


152 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


Son ! It  rejoices  my  heart  to  see  some  of  the  girls 
saved  from  the  last  famine  going  out  into  the  famine 
districts  with  my  workers  to  save  the  lives  of  their 
perishing  sisters  in  the  present  famine  [1900]. 

“ It  is  hard  work  to  gather  and  save  girls  and  young 
women.  Their  minds  have  been  filled  with  such  a dread 
toward  Christian  people,  that  they  cannot  appreciate  the 
kindness  shown  them.  For  instance,  many  of  the  un- 
converted girls  in  my  homes  have  a great  fear  in  their 
mind.  They  think  that  some  day  after  they  are  well 
fattened  they  will  be  hung  head  downward,  and  a great 
fire  will  be  built  underneath,  and  oil  will  be  extracted 
from  them  to  be  sold  at  a fabulously  large  price  for 
medical  purposes.  Others  think  they  will  be  put  into 
oil  mills,  and  their  bones  ground.  It  is  only  lately  that 
our  girls  gathered  from  the  last  famine  have  begun  to 
lose  these  dreadful  thoughts ; but  the  minds  of  the  new 
one  are  filled  with  more  dreadful  ideas  than  these. 
They  cannot  understand  that  any  one  would  be  kind  to 
them  without  some  selfish  purpose. 

“ Bad  men  have  succeeded  in  gathering  large  num- 
bers of  girls  by  enticing  them  away,  and  selling  them  to 
a bad  life.  It  is  too  shocking  to  the  refined  feeling  of 
refined  people ; but  facts  are  facts,  and  Christian 
mothers  ought  to  know  them,  that  they  may  be  promp- 
ted to  pray  and  to  work  hard  for  the  salvation  of  young 
girls — perhaps  of  the  same  age  as  their  own  sweet 


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153 


daughters.  Let  the  thought  and  love  of  our  daughters 
move  our  mother-hearts  to  come  forward  and  save  as 
many  of  the  perishing  young  girls  as  we  can.  I have 
found  out  to  my  great  horror  and  sorrow  that  over 
twelve  per  cent,  of  the  girls  rescued  by  my  workers  have 
been  ruined  for  life,  and  had  to  be  separated  from  the 
other  girls  and  placed  in  the  Rescue  Home.  The  bodies 
of  some  of  these  poor  girls  are  so  frightfully  diseased 
that  there  is  no  hope  for  their  recovery. 

“ The  Word  of  God  says  ^ : 

‘ Open  thy  mouth  for  the  dumb 
In  the  cause  of  all  such  as  are  appointed  to  destruction.’ 

And  woe  will  be  to  me  if  I do  not  obey  the  command, 
even  at  the  cost  of  losing  the  favour  of  the  high  and 
mighty  of  this  world.  Many  a careless  official  has  al- 
lowed children  to  be  taken  away  by  people  who  will  turn 
the  boys  and  girls  into  slaves  and  concubines.  The 
poor  children  who  have  been  sheltered  in  poorhouses 
and  eaten  food  from  the  hands  of  people  of  other  caste, 
will  not  be  taken  back  into  their  caste,  but  will  be  in 
lifelong  slavery  if  they  are  ‘ adopted  ’ by  Hindus  or 
Mohammedans.  The  Contagious  Diseases  Act,  which 
has  again  come  into  force  under  the  name  of 
Cantonments  Act  is  a great  power  on  the  side 
of  the  devil,  and  enables  wicked  people  to  carry 


'Prov.  xxxi.  8. 


154 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


on  their  evil  traffic  in  girls  for  the  ‘ benefit  ’ of  the 
British  soldiers.  Missionaries  and  others  in  their  res- 
cue work  have  found  it  much  more  difficult  to  get  girls 
than  to  gather  boys  from  famine  districts.  Men  and 
women  who  are  engaged  in  this  traffic  in  flesh  and  blood 
were  very  busy  for  months  gathering  girls  before  any 
of  the  relief  works  and  poorhouses  were  started. 
Whenever  they  saw  any  of  the  Christian  people  coming 
to  the  rescue  of  the  girls,  they  started  such  alarms  and 
told  such  dreadful  stories  about  Christians,  that  in  many 
cases  the  girls  refused  to  place  themselves  in  charge  of 
Christians’  schools,  and  have  gone  to  their  destruction.” 

The  foregoing  vivid  description  from  Ramabai’s  own 
pen  is  a portion  of  a Report  issued  by  her  in  May, 
1900.  A few  more  extracts  from  the  same,  concern- 
ing the  present  condition  and  progress  of  the  Mukti 
school,  will  bring  my  narrative  near  to  its  close. 

“ From  a small  beginning  of  temporary  character,  the 
Mukti  school  has  grown  into  a permanent  and  large 
institution.  Three  hundred  girls  rescued  from  starva- 
tion in  1897  have  received  regular  secular  and  Chris- 
tian instruction.  They  are  the  children  of  many 
prayers;  much  love  and  labour  have  been  bestowed  on 
them;  and  I am  able  to  say,  with  great  joy,  that  the 
workers  have  not  laboured  in  vain.  The  money  which 
so  many  friends  have  sent  for  them  has  not  been  spent 
in  vain.  The  Lord  is  very  good  to  let  us  see  the  fruit 


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155 


of  our  labour;  and  He  is  giving  us  abundant  joy  as  we 
see  the  girls  growing  in  grace  and  proving  themselves 
worthy  of  the  love  and  labour  bestowed  on  them. 

“ Five  hundred  and  eighty  in  the  Mukti  Sadan,  and 
sixty  girls  in  the  Kripa  Sadan, ^ are  being  trained  to 
lead  a useful  Christian  life.  The  number  of  the  in- 
mates of  these  homes  is  doubled,  and  will  increase  as 
days  pass  by.  God  is  greatly  blessing  the  work,  and 
the  prayers  of  our  friends  in  all  parts  of  the  world 
are  answered  daily.  Including  the  hundred  girls  of 
the  Sharada  Sadan,  I have  altogether  nearly  seven 
hundred  and  fifty  girls  under  training.  It  will  be  easily 
imagined  that  they  need  a large  number  of  teachers 
and  helpers  to  train  them.  I have  only  sixteen  paid 
teachers  from  outside  in  these  homes.  There  are 
eighty-five  other  persons  to  help  me  in  the  three  in- 
stitutions. Thirty-three  teachers,  ten  matrons,  and 
forty-two  workers  in  different  branches  of  industry, 
are  daily  labouring  for  the  good  of  their  sisters  and 
their  own  improvement.  Although  they  are  dependent 
on  these  schools  for  their  daily  bread,  they  may  be  said 
to  earn  their  own  living,  as  most  of  them  receive  no 
pay,  or  have  but  nominal  pay.  The  Sharada  Sadan 
has  trained  seventy  teachers  and  workers  in  the  past 
eleven  years ; and  the  Mukti  school  has  trained  nearly 

'Kripa  Sadan — Home  of  Grace — is  the  name  of  the  Rescue 
Home  started  last  year. 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


156 

eighty  girls  to  earn  their  own  living  in  the  past  three 
years.  Eighty-five  of  the  old  and  new  girls  have  found 
work  in  their  own  mother  institutions;  and  sixty-five 
of  the  old  girls  are  either  married  or  earning  their  liv- 
ing as  teachers  and  workers  in  different  places. 

“ A question  has  often  been  asked,  namely : What 
is  going  to  become  of  all  these  girls?  It  is  not  diffi- 
cult to  answer  it.  India  is  a large  country,  and  a vast 
amount  of  ignorance  prevails  everywhere.  Men  and 
women  of  education  and  character  are  needed,  to  en- 
lighten this  and  the  coming  generation.  I have  had  a 
hundred  requests  from  missionaries  and  superintendents 
of  schools  to  give  them  trained  teachers,  Bible-women, 
or  matrons.  I have  had  quite  as  many,  perhaps  more, 
requests  from  young  men  to  give  them  educated  wives. 
It  will  not  be  difficult  to  find  good  places  and  comforta- 
ble homes  for  all  these  young  girls  when  the  proper 
time  comes.  My  heart  is  burdened  with  the  thought 
that  there  are  more  than  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
millions  of  w’omen  in  this  country  who  need  to  have 
the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  God’s  love  given  them ! 
All  the  work  that  is  being  done  by  missionaries  and  their 
assistants  in  this  vast  land  is  but  a drop  in  the  ocean. 
It  will  be  very  small  help  to  add  our  particle  to  that 
drop.  But  every  particle  added  will  increase  the  drop ; 
so  it  will  be  multiplied,  and  permeate  the  ocean  until 
it  becomes  a stream  of  the  living  water  that  flows 


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157 


from  under  the  throne  of  God,  to  give  life  and  joy 
to  this  nation.  My  aim  is  to  train  all  these  girls  to  do 
some  work  or  other.  Over  two  hundred  of  the  pres- 
ent number  have  much  intelligence,  and  promise  to 
be  good  school  teachers  after  they  receive  a few  years’ 
training.  Thirty  of  the  bigger  girls  have  joined  a 
training  class  for  nurses.  Some  of  them  have  mastered 
the  trade  of  oil-making.  Others  have  learnt  to  do  laun- 
dry work,  and  some  have  learnt  dairy  work.  More 
than  sixty  have  learnt  to  cook  very  nicely.  Fifty  or 
more  have  had  some  training  in  field  work ; but  want 
of  rain  has  stopped  that  branch  of  our  industry,  which 
will,  I hope,  be  started  again  after  the  rain  falls.  Forty 
girls  have  learnt  to  weave  nicely;  and  more  than  fifty 
have  learnt  to  sew  well,  and  make  their  own  garments. 
The  rest,  small  and  large,  are  learning  to  do  some  work 
with  ‘ the  three  Rs.’ 

“ One  of  the  smaller  girls  rescued  from  starvation  in 
the  last  famine  is  taking  charge  of  a few  of  our  blind 
girls.  Miss  Abrams  very  kindly  taught  her  to  read 
the  blind  characters.  The  girl  herself  is  studying 
hard  while  engaged  in  teaching  the  blind  girls  to 
read  the  Scriptures.  Besides  reading  the  Scriptures 
she  teaches  them  tables,  mental  arithmetic,  and 
geography,  in  her  spare  hours.  She  sees  to  their 
bathing,  taking  meals  at  proper  times,  and  can  be  seen 
going  about  her  work  with  her  family  of  the  blind  and 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


^58 

feeble-minded  girls.  Her  heart  goes  out  to  the  weak 
and  friendless;  and,  as  soon  as  she  sees  some  one  who 
is  not  loved  by  other  girls,  she  befriends  her  and  takes 
charge  of  her  at  once.  She  is  a truly  converted  Chris- 
tian girl,  trying  to  follow  in  the  steps  of  her  Divine 
Saviour.  This  and  other  instances  of  converted  girls 
endeavouring  to  do  what  they  can  to  alleviate  the  suffer- 
ings of  their  sisters  while  yet  in  school  and  busy  with 
their  work,  are  a great  encouragement  to  us  workers, 
who  thank  God  for  being  so  good  as  to  let  us  see  that 
our  labours  are  not  lost. 

“ Some  girls  who  are  not  intellectually  bright  have 
a mother’s  heart,  which  is  full  of  love  for  children. 
They  are  appointed  as  matrons,  and  have  small  groups 
of  children  under  their  charge,  and  love  and  care  for 
them.  These  very  girls,  who  are  so  gentle  and  loving 
now,  were  very  wild,  greedy,  and  selfish,  before  their 
conversion  to  Christ.  One  would  hardly  have  believed 
that  they  could  ever  be  so  changed  and  become  what 
they  are  now.  But  the  Scripture  says  nothing  is  im- 
possible with  God.  His  love  has  won  their  hearts,  and 
He  has  made  them  new  creatures  in  Christ.  It  must 
not,  however,  be  understood  that  our  school  and  mis- 
sion, and  the  workers  connected  with  them,  are  models 
of  perfection.  We  are  all  very  defective,  make  many 
mistakes,  and  our  flesh  many  a time  gets  the  better  of 
us.  You  will  find  many  faults  in  us,  if  you  look  out  for 


RESCUE  WORK 


IS9 

them.  The  Lord  knows  that  we  are  nothing  but  dust. 
But  He  in  His  supreme  love  does  not  give  us  up  for 
lost,  but  chastens  and  brings  us  back  into  the  right 
way,  and  lets  us  know  why  He  chastised  us.  We  thank 
Him  with  all  our  hearts  for  His  unspeakable  love  and 
mercy. 

“ Most  of  my  helpers  have  joined  the  Bible  Train- 
ing Class  taught  by  Miss  Abrams.  The  daily  study 
of  the  Word  of  God  has  made  them  willing  workers. 

‘ The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul.’ 
We  have  found  that  nothing  helps  so  much  to  make 
matters  straight  as  the  study  of  God’s  Word.  Out  of 
this  Bible  Training  Class  I hope  there  will  rise  a train- 
ed band  of  Bible-women,  who  will  take  the  Gospel  to 
their  sisters  in  their  own  homes.  Some  girls  have  al- 
ready begun  to  go  about  in  the  villages  around  here. 
They  are  working  as  Zenana  Bible-women  and  Sun- 
day School  teachers  in  their  spare  time. 

“ Khedgaon  is  by  no  means  a romantic  place.  The 
girls  have  to  walk  a long  distance  in  the  burning  sun, 
bare-footed  and  without  umbrellas,  to  go  to  bathe  by 
the  wells.  They  have  to  rise  as  early  as  four  in  the 
morning  in  order  to  get  their  day’s  work  done.  . . . 
School  is  always  closed  on  Saturdays,  Sundays,  and 
other  festival  days.  In  long  holidays,  as  in  May  and 
December,  they  have  to  do  some  little  work  in  order 
to  keep  their  minds  busy.  The  girls  who  cook  in  the 


i6o 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


morning  have  to  rise  as  early  as  two  o’clock.  Two 
classes,  having  twenty-five  or  thirty  girls  in  each,  have 
to  cook  and  serve  by  turns.  Those  who  cook  in  the 
morning  have  their  rest  in  the  afternoon.  Their  time 
of  work  is  changed  after  a few  weeks.  When  one 
class  has  mastered  the  work  assigned  to  it,  another 
takes  up  the  work,  and  the  former  one  begins  to  learn 
something  else.  In  this  way  all  the  girls  are  trained 
to  do  almost  every  kind  of  work  done  here.  All  get 
from  seven  to  eight  hours’  sleep.  They  are  neither 
over-fed  nor  get  too  delicate  food ; but  none  of  them 
are  under-fed.  They  get  three  good  meals  a day,  as  a 
rule.  The  weak  and  sick  ones,  as  well  as  the  very 
little  children,  have  milk  and  other  nourishing  food. 
We  have  a regularly  trained  hospital  nurse — a good 
Christian  woman — to  look  after  the  sanitary  condition 
of  the  place.  She  has  a large  band  of  girls  working 
under  her.  No  time,  labour,  or  money,  has  been  spar- 
ed to  save  life  and  make  the  girls  comfortable.  But 
weakness  produced  by  prolonged  starvation,  and  the 
extreme  heat  caused  by  want  of  rain,  have  been  diffi- 
cult to  cope  with.  Yet  I cannot  but  thank  God  out  of 
the  fulness  of  my  heart  for  so  wonderfully  protecting 
so  many  hundreds  of  lives  from  plague  and  famine. 
Although  life  at  Khedgaon  is  hard,  the  girls  look  fat 
and  healthy,  and  are  full  of  spirits.  I find  that  hard 
work  makes  better  women  of  the  girls.  The  easy  and 


RESCUE  WORK 


i6i 


comfortable  city  life  is,  of  course,  preferred  by  the 
flesh;  but  life  in  places  like  Khedgaon,  with  fewer 
comforts  and  harder  work,  is  more  conducive  to  bodily 
and  spiritual  health.” 

A member  of  the  Poona  and  Indian  Village  Mission, 
who  visited  Ramabai  about  this  time,  writes ; “ As  we 
walked  through  the  extensive  grounds  of  Mukti  Home, 
I was  deeply  interested  to  learn  how  the  Lord  has  led 
this  child  of  Plis  to  double  the  capacity  of  Mukti  in 
a few  short  months.  ‘ When  I determined  to  rescue 
hundreds  in  Gujerat  last  August,  I had  not  a pice 
in  hand ; but  after  the  determination  had  been  made, 
the  Lord  sent  Rs.242,  she  said : ‘ this  money  was  an 

earnest  of  thousands  sent  during  the  months  to  fol- 
low.’ 

“ We  paused  in  our  walk  before  a substantially  built 
stone  wall,  eighteen  inches  thick  and  four  hundred 
feet  long,  partially  roofed  over  by  tiles ; running  parallel 
at  a distance  of  eight  or  ten  feet  another  stone  wall 
will  be  built  a few  feet  high,  and  thus,  partitioned  at 
intervals  of  fifty  feet,  eight  dormitories  will  be  ready 
when  the  monsoons  break.  These  walls  were  entirely 
built  of  the  stones  taken  from  the  ground  in  the  excava- 
tion of  four  wells.  A little  further  on,  I observed  a 
temporary  building  without  walls,  hedged  about  with 
prickly  branches,  making  an  exit  impossible.  ‘ This 
ward,’  said  Ramabai,  ‘ is  for  children  having  infectious 


i62 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


diseases.’  In  other  buildings  were  children  in  various 
stages  of  weakness.  There  were  little  ones  in  cots,  so 
emaciated  that  one  wondered  how  the  spark  of  life 
had  been  preserved;  there  were  weakly  ones  able  to 
totter  about — children  who  had  grown  prematurely  old 
through  suffering,  but  who,  with  careful  attention  and 
nourishing  food,  such  as  arrowroot,  condensed  foods, 
and  milk,  would  be  able  to  study  and  to  work  in  six 
months’  time.  How  could  one  help  but  praise  God 
for  bestowing  such  kindness  and  care  upon  these  waifs? 
It  was  a pleasure  to  learn  that  an  Indian  Christian 
trained  nurse  was  teaching  some  of  the  older  orphan 
girls  to  serve  in  that  capacity.  Out  of  eighty  teachers 
and  helpers  in  Mukti  Home,  sixty-four  are  old  or- 
phan scholars,  most  of  whom  were  rescued  in  1897. 
‘ Are  they  truly  converted  women  ? ’ I asked.  I shall 
not  soon  forget  the  look  on  Ramabai’s  face  and  her 
words:  ‘Yes;  they  are  truly  converted;  it  would  be 

impossible  for  them  patiently  to  care  for  such  repulsive 
and  loathsome  cases  if  the  grace  of  God  was  not  in  their 
hearts.’  There  was  much  to  praise  God  for,  in  all  that 
one  saw  and  heard  that  memorable  evening.  Here  in 
Mukti  Home  were  scores  who  had  been  truly  converted 
to  God ; and  in  a few  months’  time  there  will  be  proba- 
bly a thousand^  in  the  shelter  of  a real  Christian  Home ; 

’On  August  3rd,  1900,  Ramabai  reports  having  received  one 
thousand  five  hundred  and  fifty,  and  they  were  still  coming. 


RESCUE  WORK 


163 


trained  in  an  eminently  sensible  way  to  regard  work  as 
honourable,  living  simply  as  natives  live,  and  fitted  for 
lives  of  usefulness. 

“ Pandita  Ramabai  is  a spiritually-minded  Christian, 
one  whose  testimony,  by  life  and  lip,  has  no  uncertain 
sound — a woman  who  believes  the  Bible  to  be  the  in- 
spired Word  of  God,  and  whose  teaching  is  untouched 
by  the  fatal  poison  of  higher  criticism ; one  who  be- 
lieves unreservedly  in  the  efficacy  of  the  atoning  blood 
of  Christ  for  the  guilt  of  sin,  and  who  reckons  upon 
the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost  for  service;  a woman 
equipped  by  God  to  lead  and  to  organize,  and  under 
God’s  grace  to  educate  and  train  India’s  sons  and  daugh- 
ters for  lives  of  service  along  Holy  Ghost  lines.” 

Ramabai’s  reference  to  the  necessity  of  the  girls  hav- 
ing been  really  converted  before  they  could  care  pa- 
tiently for  the  newly-arrived  victims  of  famine,  is  ac- 
centuated by  a description  of  some  of  these  cases,  writ- 
ten by  a missionary  who  has  cared  for  many  of  them, 
and  who  says : “ Some  have  had  bowel  troubles,  piles, 
etc.  These  need  special  attention  as  to  diet.  Others 
have  great  boils  and  sores  to  be  washed,  cleansed  out, 
bandaged,  and  treated  every  day.  Others  have  bad 
sore  eyes.  Some  have  a kind  of  whooping  cough  with 
vomiting  of  blood. 

“ But  the  most  dreaded  of  all,  and  what  is  so  pain- 
ful, is  the  famine  sore  mouth.  When  once  it  has  a 


164 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


headway  in  the  mouth,  nothing  but  prayer  can  stop 
its  progress.  It  eats  great  lumps  of  flesh  out  of  jaws, 
roof  of  the  mouth,  and  eats  the  gums  away  from  the 
teeth,  and  teeth  drop  out.  We  have  had  several  of  these 
cases,  and  the  odour  from  them  is  almost  unbearable. 
While  trying  to  wash  their  mouths,  which  was  done 
every  two  hours,  the  effort  would  almost  take  away 
our  breath.  Frequently  the  poor  sufferers  are  released 
by  death  caused  from  the  awful  disease  eating  into  the 
windpipe.  When  that  is  the  case  no  earthly  help  can 
avail.  God  has  wonderfully  delivered  from  pain  and 
death ; but  some  Avere  in  such  a frightful  condition  we 
could  not  but  be  glad  when  death  released  them. 

“ Some  have  the  famine  sore  head.  This  is  not  so 
obstinate,  but  may  linger  for  months  and  even  years 
without  entirely  healing.  The  head  is  sometimes,  when 
we  first  get  them,  one  mass  of  blood,  pus,  vermin,  and 
scab.  It  has  to  be  scraped  and  cleansed,  then  watched 
closely  till  healed.  All  have  fevers  and  more  or  less 
pulmonary  troubles  from  exposure  to  the  cold  night- 
air.  Some  you  can  scarcely  locate  their  trouble.  They 
seem  to  be  in  a decline;  and  though  they  eat  heartily 
they  waste  away.” 

Another  missionary  who  visited  Mukti  in  May,  1900, 
says : ” This  place  has  improved  much  since  my  last 

visit  here  a year  and  a half  ago.  Many  buildings  have 


RESCUE  WORK 


165 

gone  up  and  more  are  being  built,  the  plans  all  drawn 
up  by  Ramabai.  Palm  and  other  trees  have  been  plant- 
ed; flowers  and  shrubs,  also  an  artificial  pond  with 
water  lilies  and  ferneries,  make  the  place  very  beautiful 
and  attractive.  Things  are  kept  scrupulously  clean.  One 
of  the  workers  told  me  Ramabai  has  a real  mother’s 
heart;  and  when  she  has  to  punish  one  (which  is  often 
necessary),  she  is  miserable  until  the  girl  is  conquered 
and  comes  and  asks  her  forgiveness ; then  she  kisses 
her  with  weeping,  and  they  go  away  and  pray  together.” 
[Ramabai  is  unique  in  her  methods  of  punishing  as 
well  as  in  other  things.  One  visitor  relates  how  she 
found  a shamefaced  little  girl  tied  up  among  the  calves. 
On  questioning  her  as  to  why  she  was  there,  she  con- 
fessed to  having  been  convicted  of  pilfering.  Her  con- 
trition was  evidently  genuine,  and  the  visitor  thought 
the  same  punishment  would  not  be  twice  needed.] 

“ The  pupils  are  separated  into  companies : girls  of 
one  size  and  age  being  put  in  one  room,  and  the  next 
size  in  another,  with  several  older  girls  to  look  after 
them.  In  this  way  they  are  marched  out  to  the  dining- 
room, the  little  girls  of  five  or  six  years  coming  first, 
two  by  tw^o,  and  so  increasing  in  size  until  the  full- 
grown  girls  close  up  the  ranks.  In  like  manner  they 
are  marched  out  to  the  w'ell  daily,  which  is  some  dis- 
tance from  the  house,  for  their  baths.  Each  one  car- 


i66 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


ries  her  clean  sari  cn  her  head  which  is  put  on  there 
after  the  bath,  and  the  dirty  one  washed  and  carried 
home  to  dry. 

“ It  was  quite  an  interesting  sight  to  see  the  long, 
straight  line  of  girls  marching  down  the  road,  two  by 
two,  the  other  morning.  I fell  into  line  and  marched 
with  them  to  the  well.  How  they  did  enjoy  plung- 
ing into  the  deep  reservoir  of  water ; and  what  scream- 
ing and  laughing  and  talking  as  they  splashed  around 
in  the  water,  throwing  it  on  each  other ! After  bathing, 
all  fell  to  washing  their  clothes ; even  the  little  ones 
washing  away  till  helped  out  by  their  older  sisters. 
The  water  is  drawn  from  the  well  by  six  strong  bul- 
locks, a large  stream  continually  flowing  into  the  reser- 
voirs and  from  there  out  into  the  fields  in  which  Ram- 
abai  has  large  fruit  plantations  and  vegetable  gardens. 

“ The  Rescue  Home  here  is  by  itself,  and  has  seven- 
ty-five women  now.  They  grind  their  own  flour,  do 
their  own  cooking,  and  have  their  own  hospital.  As  I 
entered  their  compound,  I was  surrounded  by  a com- 
pany of  contented-looking  women,  all  speaking  to  me 
at  once  and  all  trying  to  touch  my  hands.  My  heart 
was  melted  in  pity  for  them.  Some  looked  healthy 
and  strong,  and  others  were  smitten  with  consumption, 
and  others  with  still  more  dreadful  diseases.  I thought 
what  a wonderful  and  broad  salvation  this  is,  to  take 
in  these  low  outcasts,  and  prepare  a home  of  refuge  for 


Rev.  C.  B.  Ward  and  Thomas  Francis  with  Famine  Children 


RESCUE  WORK 


167 


them,  as  well  as  for  the  respectable  and  moral.  It  be- 
ing the  hour  for  prayer,  they  all  sat  down  on  the  ground 
and  commenced  singing.  Some  of  the  older  girls  come 
in  with  Bibles — and  one  read  a chapter ; another  pray- 
ed. As  I showed  a kindly  interest,  eyes  moistened  and 
faces  softened,  and  I thought  how  much  might  be  done 
with  a little  sympathy.  I felt  that  Jesus  had  been  near.” 
But  to  return  to  Ramabai’s  Report.  She  goes  on 
to  tell  of  a time  of  testing  and  trial  in  temporal  sup- 
plies. “ The  storeroom  was  almost  empty,  and  the 
saries  of  our  girls  and  most  of  their  blankets  had 
turned  into  old  rags — there  was  no  money  to  buy  new 
saries  and  blankets.  But  saries  had  been  ordered  from 
the  cloth  merchants,  with  the  understanding  that  they 
were  to  take  all  back  if  by  a certain  date  their  bills  were 
not  paid ; not  one  of  them,  however,  was  touched.  Grain 
and  other  necessities  of  life  were  not  ordered  for  the 
month.  Many  people  could  not  understand  why  I had 
to  make  certain  changes  in  food,  etc.  But  the  Lord 
knew  all  about  it.  He  let  the  trials  come  at  certain 
times,  and  let  the  house  and  treasury  be  quite  empty 
only  to  fill  them  again.  He  made  me  realize  from  time 
to  time  that  His  ‘ hand  is  not  shortened,  that  it  cannot 
save;  neither  His  ear  heavy,  that  it  cannot  hear.’^  No 
one  was  informed  about  the  needs  at  times  of  trial ; 
but  according  to  the  command  of  God*  all  requests 
Tsa.  lix.  i.  ’Phil.  iv.  6. 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


1 68 

were  made  known  to  Him,  and  He  did  keep  my  mind 
in  perfect  peace  in  Christ,  and  sent  help  in  His  own 
good  time,  to  buy  not  only  grain,  but  saries  and  blan- 
kets, etc.,  for  the  old  and  new  girls. 

“ The  work  of  rescuing  girls  went  on  and  is  still 
going  on,  in  spite  of  all  difficulties  and  trials ; for  God 
makes  it  very  plain  to  me  from  time  to  time,  by  re- 
moving obstacles  when  they  come,  that  it  is  His  will 
that  this  work  should  not  be  stopped  until  He  Himself 
stops  it.  Agur’s  prayer^  is  being  answered  in  our  case. 
We  are  not  allowed  too  much  or  too  little  of  food  and 
clothing  and  other  comforts.  Moreover,  the  Lord  is 
teaching  our  Christian  girls  to  deny  themselves  a little 
for  the  sake  of  others,  that  they  may  meet  the  expenses 
of  their  Christian  instruction  and  other  church  ex- 
penses. He  sent  us  a message  one  day  to  give  up  one 
of  our  meals  on  Sundays  to  save  money  to  feed  the 
hungry  and  poor,  and  to  help  His  work  in  other  mis- 
sions. Most  of  the  girls  very  cheerfully  came  forward 
with  the  request  to  cut  off  one  of  their  meals  on  Sun- 
days, and  the  money  thus  saved  has  been  used  to  feed 
the  Lord’s  poor  and  to  help  on  His  work  in  other  places. 

“ The  question  of  self-support  of  Indian  Christian 
Churches  is  becoming  a very  serious  one.  The  Indian 
Christians  are  very  poor,  it  is  true,  and  will  not  be  able 
to  pay  the  high  salaries  and  bear  the  heavy  expenses 
*Prov.  XXX.  8,  g. 


Rev.  and  Mrs.  D.  O.  Fox  and  Miss  McGrotty,  with  Rescued  Famine  Boys 


RESCUE  WORK 


169 


of  fashionable  churches.  But  as  Hindus  neither  they 
nor  their  parents  looked  to  some  other  nation,  or  to  the 
high  priests,  for  the  support  of  their  temples  and  their 
priesthood.  As  Christians  there  is  no  reason  why  they 
should  not  train  themselves  and  their  children  to  deny 
themselves,  and  to  systematic  giving.  The  Lord  show- 
ed me  this  was  my  opportunity  to  practise  and  teach 
what  I believed;  and  I am  very  thankful  to  say  that 
the  experiment  has  proved  to  be  a success,  and  the 
Lord’s  promise  in  Mai.  iii.  10  has  been  literally  fulfilled. 
Some  of  us  perhaps  give  one-fiftieth  or  one-hundredth 
part  of  our  income  to  the  Church,  and  that  too  with 
great  reluctance,  and  call  it  tithe ; but  little  realize  that 
the  tithe  is  no  less  than  one-tenth  of  the  whole ; and 
that  is  the  income  tax  God  would  have  us  give  Him  for 
His  poor.  If  we  give  one-twentieth  or  fiftieth  part  and 
call  it  a tithe,  or  give  very  little  with  great  reluctance, 
we  are  robbing  God  of  His  dues,  and  robbing  ourselves 
of  great  blessings  which  He  is  eager  to  give  us  if  we 
only  accept  them  by  fulfilling  the  conditions.  This, 
to  me,  seems  to  be  the  true  cause  of  the  material  pov- 
erty of  the  native  Christian  Church  in  India.  We  must 
not  expect  that  God  will  give  us  many  spiritual  and 
temporal  blessings  unless  we  cheerfully  fulfill  the  con- 
ditions on  which  He  has  promised  them  to  us.” 

Ramabai  concludes  her  most  interesting  recital  of 
the  condition  and  growth  of  this  wonderful  work  with 


PANDITA  RAMABAI 


170 

a paragraph  which  will  do  equally  well  for  the  close  of 
this  volume ; and  here  we  must  leave  her. 

“ God  gave  me  a special  message  from  His  Word  a 
few  days  ago  to  give  all  the  friends  who  are  help- 
ing the  Lord’s  work  at  Mukti  and  other  missions,  which 
I pass  on  to  you.  It  is  this : ‘ He  that  giveth  unto 

the  poor  shall  not  lack.”  You  have  denied  yourself  in 
many  ways  for  the  sake  of  giving  money  for  the  poor 
women  and  children  sheltered  in  our  homes,  but  you 
have  this  rich  promise  from  the  Lord  as  your  reward. 
God  bless  you  all.  As  for  me,  I have  His  sure  word 
to  depend  upon.  ‘ He  that  spared  not  His  own  Son, 
but  delivered  Him  up  for  us  all,  how  shall  He  not  with 
Him  also  freely  give  us  all  things  ? ’ Now,  ‘ Unto 
Him  that  loved  us,  and  washed  us  from  our  sins  in  His 
own  blood,  and  hath  made  us  kings  and  priests  unto 
God,  and  His  Father;  to  Him  be  glory  and  dominion 
for  ever  and  ever.  Amen.’  ” 

'Prov.  xxviii.  27. 


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